Faint
by WiseAbsol
Summary: Two years after the Mount Quena Invasion would have occurred, Giovanni arrives with a different scheme to tempt Mewtwo back to his side. When his plan backfires, the clone is left with a female mewtwo to protect. There's just one problem: she can't stand him. A deconstruction of common cliches/tropes found in Mewtwo fanfiction, particularly in "Mewthree" fanfiction.
1. The Plan

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. Kamaria and AI however are mine, along with Dr. Kummad.**

**Author's Note: **"Faint" has been a miniseries that's been in my mind for about a year, and has been written up in a notebook for about as long. It is not meant to be an alternate reworking of the movie "Mewtwo Returns," nor another attempt of mine to create a romance between Mewtwo and a female of his kind. My only intentions were to take several of the common themes that run in the Mewtwo archives (anime, manga, games, fics, etc.) and make something 'classical' out of the combination. That said, this is a short and simple story - it has no evil character trying to kill the protagonists and take over the world; it has no heroic feats and sacrifices. It's merely supposed to be a human story - 'human' being a slightly skewed word in this context.

Mostly, it was also to provide a serious answer to this question: "Just why would a female Mewtwo be created?" After all, those who have created a so-called "Mewthree" character have mostly done it because they wanted to...and few consider why it would be desired by her creators.

I'll leave you all to ponder that notion. Do enjoy the first entry.

P.S. - The tone of the chapter titles is intention, and I will be using the Japanese names for several characters: Miyuutsuu (Mewtwo), Sakaki (Giovanni), Ai (Amber), and Dr. Fuji (as opposed to the Americanized Dr. Smith).

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_**Phase 1.) The Plan:**_

Ice: the element of stillness and potential. Locked away in its frozen core are treasures far more precious than any amount of gold or diamonds, that only now in the dawning of the genetic era do we comprehend how invaluable their finding can be. The seeds of long-dead organisms await discovery, _waiting_ to be harvested for our present use. Whether or not they shall benefit humanity is a matter of heated debate - for with all discoveries comes the possibility of either great blessings or plagues upon our world.

Especially when one considers whose hands these finds might fall into.

A few years before the new millennium dawned, as the polar ice caps began to melt, old remnants of the ancient forests of Antarctica began to emerge: petrified trees; the footprints of extinct creatures…and occasionally, the priceless, preserved corpse of an adult pokemon.

At the time of one such find, a crime lord known simply as Sakaki was formulating a mission to return to his hold a pokemon who had rebelled and escaped him: a powerful creation, the being was dangerous if allowed to run free. However, upon hearing of the discovery, his plans were set-aside for a later date. Purchasing the corpse and the silence of its existence, Sakaki transferred the find to frozen storage, soon hiring a laboratory team to make the best use of it as they could. Following the cloning processes left by the late Dr. Fuji, they steadied the deoxyribonucleic acid base with human hybridization, filling in all the inconvenient little gaps. From the moment the first cell of the new being began to multiply, its fate was decided - the gender, the appearance, and its purpose already laid out. Even the variable of a soul was muted with careful education from the moment it developed brain activity. Kept in an isolated chamber, speakers rambled off subjects straight from the Encyclopedia, the sound being the only contact with the outside world it knew as it grew. Not even the geneticists who directed the clone's growth, carefully monitoring its vital signs and nutrition flow, could get within the radius of its empathic senses. So the creature remained in perpetual solitude, its own thoughts dulled from the sedative chemicals that kept it from full awareness as it matured.

Yet eventually, Sakaki had to admit that some human and pokemon contact must be made. When the creature was allowed to awaken, its caretakers pleaded that it would go insane from the sensory overload to its mind when others breached the space around it. So, again with great care, those allowed near it were chosen. Geneticists with no emotional attachment monitored the being's stats, and the crime lord was wise enough to watch from a distance. If it sensed his intentions, he was fairly certain that - even with the immense differences from its predecessor - it would rebel. The pocket monster trainers assured him that their psychic pokemon were working to stunt its empathic abilities, working with the natural fading of those talents by erecting mental barriers in its mind to prevent telepathic probing from within and without. In its youth, it would not comprehend that singular blunting of its senses - at least not now, when the presence of other life forms seemed to so intrigue it after its initial panic. As the year of its development progressed with various hormonal growth stimulants, Sakaki felt pleased as its progress.

The birth came abruptly, the cultivation tank drained of the synthetic amniotic fluid and the confused creature flailing out against the glass. Dragged out of the cylinder which had housed it for over a year, an air mask pressed to its muzzle, forcing air into its lungs. It breathed, then fell into a deep, almost comatose sleep from shock. As it was weaned off the drugs and onto real food and physical touch, it awoke to see two faces: Sakaki's, and that of the head geneticist Ali Kummad, a wizened old African who had been a colleague of Dr. Fuji's before their eventual falling out. Both these men were the closest to parental figures the being would ever have. One gave it a name; the other gave it a reason to live. Adult in body and soon in mind, the creature had no issues with taking orders. Unlike its predecessor, which it learned about in time, it was treated well, given its own home, along with good food, clean water, and modern medicine. The tests to assess its health did not bother it, of the taking of genetic samples a fair trade for its creation and for vaccinations. Its abilities were adequate, its physical strength sacrificed for the sake of speed. It was a slighter being, but no less pleasing. Sakaki was certain it would serve its purpose well when it got the chance. He had greater things planned for it than petty thieving. Battling was out of the question; he would not have the thus far perfect specimen damaged in any way.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the clone's sense of willpower and integrity. Upon discovering its real purpose when motions were made to capture its predecessor, his sanctuary discovered two years prior, it rebelled, shrieking at its creators that it would serve them, but not in the manner they wished. But it did not have a say in the matter - it never had. When observing it and making predictions for its future progress, the organization had developed technology capable of coping with one like itself and stronger. The struggling creature was subdued, its powers suppressed, Sakaki's grasp on it unable to be escaped. In this process, the creature was drugged, the final stroke of the plan taken and the mission shortly set in play. As they flew in full force towards the Jhoto region and to Mt. Quena, it awoke shortly, bound and in pain…only to have Sakaki approach it, placing a hand to its form and telling it of what he had done to it, to make it clear to it just how entrapped it was. After hearing this, the pokemon could only look on the passing miles in mounting horror and anger. It did not want this. It would rather die!

But like its very existence, it had no choice in the matter….

So as time passed, the days shifting into nights, it turned its heart to ice; holding in its secrets and making itself stone to all those around it. It would not allow itself to be touched by others in any way. Alone to its thoughts, it hoped not to awaken to its supposed fate…or to its predecessor, who could be the cruelest monster it had ever faced….

Or not. But if one thing _was_ certain, it was that the pokemon Miyuutsuu was in for the shock of its life.

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Author's Note: **Whether you review or not is up to you, though I hope I at least have intrigued some of you. See ya'. 

- WiseAbsol


	2. The Other

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.**

**Author's Note: **Just to clarify, "Faint" has a different style to it then that of my other works. It's shorter and more passive, more of what you'd expect of a fable or children's story than a serious work. It also has some more dramatic dialogue and moments than the others. Last, Mewtwo is more alike to Japanese counterpart than the English version: he's less certain, and even, shall we say, less mature. This chapter stresses those points more than anything else.

That said, I hope you are entertained.

Onii-san brother/older brother.

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Phase 2.) The Other:

As the crimson sun, the giver of life, fell into the horizon to shed its bloody light onto the mountains, shadows undulated within the forests, swimming across the waters that held a tiny island within its center. From its heart, laying on cold grey stone, a silent, solemn creature watched the death of the day without thought. Sunsets here were always gorgeous, and the various colors and tints were marvelous to him. Never was one dusk precisely the same as the next, and this was a curious thing to him. Yet as the moon rose, he gazed on the familiar scene wearily, feeling strangely old, even though his feline body had barely passed a half a decade in age. Solitude does that to one, and he now regretted the loss of his fellow clones keenly. They had never truly comprehended the workings of his mind, but they had been comforting in their physical presence - that they had all left him to pursue their own destinies had been a bitter blow to him. Not unexpected, as he had sensed their discontent long before the first word of rebellion and independence had been mouthed. Still, their mass exodus over a year ago had hurt terribly. That those who swore to remain had all drifted away as well, in time, had only furthered the injury. But he had never allowed his feelings of being betrayed to show. Like a parent watching his children fly from the sanctuary of his wings, from the nest he had created for them, he respected and admired them for their resolve in facing the cruelties of the world alone.

Yet that did not mean he missed them any less.

Perhaps it was better this way. After all, he had been born into this world alone? Naturally, the others would seek members of their own race to dwell amongst…but he? No…_he_ had no such fortune. Yet at the very least, he had his projects to distract him from their abandonment. While his hard heart suffered from the lack of true company, his mind, at least, was occupied. And if his mind was occupied, his heart would not have the chance to play havoc with his emotions, gripping him fully and making him do something rash. Yes, contemplating various worst-case-scenario events due to human folly and how they might scramble to correct them did amuse him. Especially when he knew that if things grew too rough, there would be higher forces at work to stop them from going too far….

Musing on this, he drifted towards the large screen against his west-facing wall. It flashed on with the flick of his wrist, and he settled down on the stool in front of it, pleased to find a message from a fellow philosopher within the human's cyber world. It had been some time since she (or he, the clone supposed) had contacted him.

_**To: Lunar4Frankenstein**_

_**From: Musing(Chi)Watcher**_

_**Topic: Re: Merits of Flight**_

_**You perpetual insistence that you are not human is quite amusing. I am currently rendering a drawing from the tiny hints you have given me of your description. Please tell me, just how long is your tail?**_

_**You speak of flight as though it is no great wonder, but understand, it is the concept of soaring, of lacking physical weight and general boundaries which delights the mind. I have read perfectly well on how aerodynamics work, and how much effort must be put into such natural and unnatural designs to allow flight. Still, it remains a thrilling prospect for those who may feel. If I had wings, I would go to Cairo and-.**_

"_ALERT! Flight vehicles have entered the 112.63 kilometer radius. ALERT-!"_

(_There is no need to shout, AI. Is it civilian aircraft?)_ He asked, irked by the interruption. His heart pounded in his chest with the shock of its yelling, causing him to growl out the words. If possible, the computer program seemed miffed at his tone.

"_No, If it were, I would not have contacted you so swiftly. They look to be of military make, but they do not bear any identifying insignia. At their current heading and speed, they should arrive in this area in little over an hour."_

Miyuutsuu's interest was perked. He turned his attention to the voice, (_Do you have any visuals?)_

"_Yes."_ With that, the screen flickered to the image of a small fleet of black operations aircraft, the design of them a hybridization of that of a helicopter and a miniature jumbo jet. Miyuutsuu stiffened at the whirling mechanical eyes at the anterior ends of them, at the weaponry extended beneath the hulls, capable of swiveling around to shoot at nearly any angle before or behind. He recognized the type of vehicle well…he had once been transported within one to Viridian City, and once had led a squadron of them on a hunt in the Safari Zone. That had been back in Kanto, back when he was under the sway of the Team Rcoket leader Sakaki. These vehicles, he was certain, were one of the crime lord's forces. He wondered at his own expression of surprise: the telepathic may have erased the trainer's minds of him, and all those he later encountered of humanity…but he had not been forgotten by the man who had ordered his creation. Ambition and frustration when concerning the clone had likely driven Sakaki to this. He wondered how long it had taken the human to track him down.

But perhaps Miyuutsuu was getting ahead of himself. There was no way to know with full certainty that this was a Team Rocket force, not from this distance. What he saw upon the screen could always be an undisclosed military operation. There was, after all, an unofficial base near here. Certainly the group was disconcerting, and the exact make of the vehicles an almost unbelievable coincidence. Yet the idea was a possibility, and with it in mind, he asked AI to hack into the military site for information,. The program got around the firewalls with ease, plucking up the information and throwing it onto the screen. The base was currently under the authority of a foreign Gym Leader. There didn't seem to be any mission underway, but any operation by them had always been shady.

At any rate, he had no choice but to wait. It was _not_ as if he could simply teleport away from Purity Canyon for a short while if an invasion occurred. He had to defend this place: it was his _home_, and represented to him the cumulation of his freedom - he had at last found a place for himself, and in his mind, loosing his haven was as wretched as having restraints placed back upon his body. No matter what he was, he was resolved to never surrender to another's will again...he would not be told where he belonged by anyone other than himself! Besides, the force would most likely turn away: this was illegal airspace, a protected natural preserve. They could not lawfully fly their planes above it and risk disturbing the wild pokemon. Yet if they did penetrate the range…well, he had defenses set in place for that situation.

So he watched the vehicles approach, pondering on what they could be. Team Rocket or military? Coincidence or threat? And if they were coming here, what did they want? This Garden of Eden…or him?

"_They don't seem to be changing course, onii-san. What should we do?"_

How strange for it to ask a question…but he felt a moment of pride. At least AI could not be taken, no matter what else, (We will wait. That is all we can do. If it becomes necessary, we will leave this place, you and I. I will not have either of us fall into human hands.)

"_Understood. They have breached the second radius. They will arrive in approximately 45 minutes_."

The clone sighed and looked up at the gibbous moon. His philosophy about it and its light remained unchanging. Deciding he would face the threat if it came, he drifted to the top of the stony island, watching the blinking lights of the approaching vehicles eat away the miles. He would not hide like a kitten beneath its mother's belly. He would not stand beyond stone, but here, not flinching as they came.

'_Let them come,' _he thought solemnly, _'They will leave like all the rest…whether they are forced to go or not.'_

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Agent 009, otherwise known as the Black Tulip for her trademark 'gift' flew over the site on her hang-glider, circling like a bird of prey over the tiny island of the sprawling lake. Her binoculars were set on heat-sensing, and immediately she had spied her quarry. The clone pokemon stood on the plateau, watching her movements, an observation that made her stomach flip before she realized it had raised no paw to harm her. It merely glared, waiting for her to act - to leave. She did so, casting another glance back to the island, the scan cutting through stone. Unlike the last time the area had been viewed, there appeared to be no other life forms with clone biology, only a few wild animals mostly of the insect class. There were strange heat patterns wired throughout the island however, and underneath…it glowed faintly. Machines? Electricity, here? She supposed there was plenty of hydroelectrical opportunity here to support it. Wary of what it might mean, she headed back to Sakaki's helicopter, reporting back her finding over her radio._

_Afterwards, she asked about the captive. It was still deeply sedated, but otherwise, well._

_It was up to Miyuutsuu to see that it stayed that way._

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Once he'd seen the teenager with the red 'R' insignia across the front of her uniform, he had know who he was dealing with. Somehow, Sakaki had tracked him down and had come for him. The instinct to flee or fight arose sharply in his being, but he knew neither of them to be an option any more than bowing down to his once-commander's will. To flee would mean abandoning this place, leaving this wonderful paradise to a devil. To add to that, AI was, for the most part, bound here. Moving its 'body' could be done, but that risked the integrity of its core, and leaving it behind was not an option. The world's first artificial intelligent unit could not fall into Sakaki's grasp. Even if it didn't obey the human, its programs could be copied and used in that manner. Miyuutsuu could not allow such a thing to occur. As for fighting…it risked this area in the damage zone, another unthinkable thing. Plus, while taking Sakaki down would end many of his problems, it would invite attention he did not want or need. Investigation, public ones after the military was through, would ravage this place…and AI and he would be discovered. Himself, persecuted.

But he had to do something! He could not stand by as Sakaki invaded his home!

As the vehicles flew over the mountain crest, soaring over the valley, his anger, always a dangerous thing, mounted. It bubbled like ammonia in his stomach, and he rose into the air, heading towards them. The distance between them melted, and they paused, facing each other over the water. A small scar on Miyuutsuu's wrist throbbed as he sent out orders to AI before the Team Rocket force made its purpose clear, trusting his "child" enough that he was certain the demands would be followed.

With only a groan of metal to give him warning, the bellies of the vehicles dropped out, the missiles they carried screeching towards him, exploding several feet before him into heavy, sticky nets of liquid plastic with electric wiring which sought to surround him in inescapable cocoons. He dodged them easily, almost disappointed. If a few capture devices were all he had to worry about, surely Sakaki must have gone mad and senile. Seven mechanical eyes swiveled, following his movements. Abruptly a sphere of pure electrical force shot out at him, which burst around the shield he raised, a single arm outstretched. As the explosion died, intended to stun him, he gazed at the vehicles soundlessly. Pitiful. And stupid. They were over water after all. What did they intend to do? Capture and paralyze him, and then let him drown when he fell? He doubted it.

They surrounded him then, firing off rounds one after another, and then at random intervals. He outstretched his arms, paws curling like talons which reached to grasp and kill their prey. Spheres of psychic-electrical energy formed in the path of the bolts shot at him, absorbing and neutralizing his enemies' attacks. The gunners seemed to surrender then, perhaps having been ordered to cease wasting their energy - it was futile against this creature. A pair of heavy hands gave their applause, and his amethyst eyes turned towards the roof of one particular vehicle, a railed balcony slowly rising to it from within. Evil embodied, there stood his once-master…the sight of him infuriating the clone. Hatred consumed him at the recollection of Sakaki's past betrayal, but the clone forced himself to quiet such emotions before they clouded his judgment.

Sakaki spoke first, "Well, that was a most impressive display. Bravo, old friend."

Miyuutsuu glared at the human, his voice low and cold with threat, (_Leave this place, Sakaki. You do not belong here, nor do your followers. If I must, I will force you out._)

Sakaki clicked his tongue, disapproval evident in his expression, "Come now, is that how you greet your creator, your God? With threats?"

(_Manners are not something you instilled in my education or found desirable. Learning how to battle and kill for you was. I warn you now: I have grown far stronger than I once was. Tearing you and your force down from the sky would be a simple enough task._)

"I am certain it would be. But in turn, allow me to warn you that your increased strength has long since been predicted by my technicians, and understand me Miyuutsuu, I have machines that can deal with you if things go that far."

Miyuutsuu looked ready to challenge that statement, but the Gym Leader went on, "But I am not here to fight, my friend. I am here to make you an offer."

(_Nothing you might offer is of interest to me._)

There was a pause at that declaration, "…I wouldn't be so certain of that."

But Miyuutsuu ignored his words, (_Again, I order you: leave me in peace._)

Giovanni shook his head once, "No matter what you might desire to think, you belong to me, Miyuutsuu. I have great plans for you…and for your services, I do offer compensation. Shelter, food, drink, material desire…they could all be yours if you return to me."

(_If I have need for any of those things, I can obtain them by myself. Now if you refuse to go, send out your machines so I may defeat them and force you to retreat,.)_

An eyebrow quirked, "Cocky, now aren't we? Very well. If you want a fight, you'll have one. Agent 009, send out the capture drones."

The command was followed by the release of six squat robots, spiked and possessing single probing eyes. They floated in a circle about him, and simultaneously they released a barrage of invisible waves of pressure which mimicking gravitational force to an extent where the air around him seemed to solidify to suffocating weights. Sluggishly, defying them, he raised his arms, releasing psychic pulses, countering two of them. Crushed, they fell into the water, sinking to the bottom of the lake. Through the narrow path their failure resulted in, he darted to unsuppressed air, and began to fly towards his island. The full force followed swiftly, falling into a trap they were unaware of. But he would not set it off just yet…not until he knew what Sakaki was holding back. Something was amiss here, something hidden…he could not end this before he knew what it was.

On the sandy shore he landed, turning to face the approaching drones. Electric bolts lashed out at him, which he struck away with his own. The four darted about him, one swiftly smashed by Miyuutsuu powerful whipping tail, a paw reaching into its insides and pulling out some of integral parts of its workings. It spun, squealed, and exploded, the debris from it flying and bouncing off the heavy forms of its fellows. Another soon followed it into "death", Miyuutsuu telekinetic grip squashing it like an overripe fruit, causing it to implode. Seeing that only two of his precious drones were left, the commands to shoot were given by the crime lord. Lasers and bullets rained down onto the shore, pelting off the psychic's shield. As he prepared to decimate the final couple of machines, everything paused. Sakaki's voice came over the loudspeaker:

"Before you do something you'll regret, I have something to show you, Miyuutsuu. Look carefully before you act."

Sakaki's helicopter swooped and hovered in front of him, that blades raising a mist of tan dust. It blinded the clone for a moment, not allowing him to view what the Team Rocket leader so obviously wished him to view. He vaguely spied the flanking door of the vehicle sliding open…and then….

There, hanging by its wrists within a sphere of light made by two more drones, its feet and tail bound together, its head bowed…was another of his species. Of his kind.

His eyes widened, and time seemed to freeze, though his heart sped and his breathing rasped in shock. Something inside of him howled in fury and horror that another like him had been created, and was helpless in the hands of Sakaki. Yet beyond that was an immediate sensation of bondage. He needed to free that creature, he needed to help it...he needed it. He could vaguely sense its mind, fuzzy and bewildered…and in pain. His body clenched, his teeth grinding,…he would not stand for this!

(_How dare you…what possessed you to do this? Release that creature at once!_) He roared, trembling with rage and the unquenchable desire to go to it, to destroy what bound it, and make its pain cease.

Sakaki appeared behind the being, "Certainly, Miyuutsuu…I shall release her to you immediately, if you vow to serve me, and only me."

Again, Miyuutsuu mind froze. A female? That frail, unconscious being...was female?

He forgot how to breathe. Uncertainty weighed on him. Inexplicably he found himself stepped towards the pair. Thought was like molasses, trickling sluggishly and dimly colored with emotion.

But a sexless shout cut through the fog in his mind, reminding him not to be tempted.

"_Onii-san, don't! Do I have your permission to execute Program 119?"_

He shook his thoughts clear, still staring at the female, (_Yes. Do it now!_)

Before Sakaki had a chance to ponder what was going on, the ground beneath them shuddered, and for one moment, there was utter silence. The buzzing of all electrical machines died, the blades of the chopper ceasing to turn. Then, chaos and flame engulfed the shore - the EMP shut down all machinery in the area, killing the human crafts. They fell towards land and sea out of the sky, and as they did, Miyuutsuu darted forward, taking the freed pokemon, the female, into his arms, flying away as the force that had held her crashed about the island.

Within those few moments AI had rebooted, its programs restored. Missiles flew at the falling vehicles, metamorphosing them into twisted explosions of metal and fire. He felt the dozens onboard die. Just before one hit Sakaki's and Agent 009's vehicle, almost intact, he felt them vanish. He scanned the nearby miles for them. They had used a Alakazam to teleport them to safety, along with the pesky Persian. Trusting that AI would care for the other, he brought the girl to his quarters, resting her upon his bed. He stared at her for a moment, not comprehending what he should think or should feel. He had never expected this.

Shaking it off, he ordered AI to watch over her, and sped away towards the military base…he would finish this now…!

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Sakaki and Agent 009 knew that they both had very little time. Miyuutsuu had defeated their drones; the main hub of their force; and had taken their trump card, their ace. He would undoubtedly be here within minutes to make certain they would no longer present a problem to him as well. Everything had gone wrong….after all, how were they to have know that the monster had built an armada in Mt. Quena's geological defenses? Had they not been activated remotely, the plan would have likely worked! Both of them had viewed the dazed look that had come over Miyuutsuu's face when their ace had been revealed to him. He had been drawn to them, helpless to stop himself. It would have worked!

But the plan had failed all the same. Despite their efforts, they had been one-upped. Yet Sakaki refused to let the creature defeat him utterly. He turned to the Black Tulip, who was preparing for the worst. She seemed to be on the same track of mind as he, for she pulled out a heavy iron crate stashed under the desk of their office. After typing in the code, it flipped open, revealing dozens of tiny, steel spheres within, their eyes closed and their limbs tucked away. They had already been installed with a search-and-infect program. The agent looked to him for his approval to activate them. He gave her a curt nod, confirming he'd had the same intentions.

As soon as they were activated, they extended their legs and scuttled away through open windows, doors, and vents. Many would be destroyed before they reached their target, and more would be destroyed when trying to complete their purpose. Yet if even one succeeded, Sakaki's will was done, his revenge taken. The first explosions and peters of gunfire reached him then from the outskirts of the base. He stood by the windows of the office, watching as Miyuutsuu triumphed over them all. His special operations soldiers fell; his weaponry reduced to flames, oil, and scraps of metal. Very suddenly, he felt exhausted. Vaguely, the crime lord saw others begin to sway drowsily. Before he fell into unconscious, he comprehended Miyuutsuu actions: he was forcing them into a submissive sleep. For what though, he could not begin to guess….

Miyuutsuu sensed all of their minds fall into dark unawareness. Lifting his eyes to the smoky sky, he churned the firmament with his powers, creating pregnant storm clouds that groaned under the burden of the rain and lightning they ached to birth. He allowed them to have their way, quenching the fires all around him, the wind swirling about with the force of a tsunami. Such harsh weather was not uncommon here. Then, glowing with psychic energy, he proceeded to destroy the security records, the tapes and disks in the monitors within the buildings melting and shattering. He took the human's minds in his hands, wondering at what he should do with them. They too, could be destroyed. Yet that would have dire repercussions, ones which he did not need. No…he would only wipe their memories of him, and those associated with him, just as he had done with those children years ago. How convenient of Giovanni too to have only disclosed his existence to the people present here. His existence had always been a carefully guarded secret, even in the organization that had funded his creation. That all of them had been gathered in one place pleased him deeply. That he would leave this secret operation bewildered and floundering also appeased some of his lingering anger. Yes…he would not kill the leaders of Team Rocket: it was better to have an enemy one knows than a new, unpredictable one, as the saying went.

He cast the curse of amnesia over them and left them there in the storm and in sleep, and returned to his home…to AI, and to the creature that shook his world...

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	3. The Conflict

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.**

**Author's Note: **And here we meet Kamaria...what an amusing gal.

Oh yeah...Miyuu means Mew. Also, the um...timeline is a bit odd. Miyuutsuu is five years old - Kamaria is two to three years old (we'll just say three, since that was what was in my notebook). That makes this point about two years after "Mewtwo Returns", not one. The not-so-simple breakdown: Miyuutsuu spent one year growing in the tank, then another with Sakaki. The next year concerned the New Island Incident and the clones arriving at Mt. Quena. At some point in this third year, the Miyuu corpse that helped make Kamaria was found. Another year passed in which she was created - Sakaki did not head to Mt. Quena. The last year was the one in which she was trained. It has now been half a decade since Miyuutsuu was "conceived", give or take a few months. I apologize for any confusion.

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Phase 3.) The Conflict:

(_How is she?_)

Miyuustuu's seemingly innocent question was like an sour onion - it had layers of concern and confusion that AI could detect. The psychic's pulse was erratic, his breathing slightly shaky. The program, at least in part, understood his reaction. To have discovered another of his kind - that he was _not alone_ - had stunned and left him deeply disturbed. That the other was female did not help matters either.

"_Other than the cut across her left shoulder, she appears unharmed and healthy. I can find no sign of illness, malnutrition, or other forms of neglect or abuse. As long as the cut is disinfected and bound, she should be fine. Once the drugs in her system wear off, she will awaken._"

He nodded, already attending to the lengthy slash that, he assumed, Sakaki had afflicted upon her at some point. He wiped the dried blood away with a cloth soaked in alcohol, cleansing the wound, smearing the long mark with antibiotic ointment. His touch was gentle, almost timid: Miyuutsuu had attended to many of his fellow clones' injuries that they'd sustained when they had been with him, but this matter was hardly the same - the one he tended to was a female of his species. He mused vaguely as he applied the gauze, wrapping her shoulder in bandages, at how soft her light pelt felt; at how tranquil she looked at she slept, her chest undulating as she breathed. Miyuutsuu sighed, leaning back, sitting on his stone stool, observing her and not knowing what to do. The situation vastly disconcerted him.

(_Have you purged the Team Rocket files of me? Of her?_) he asked quietly, not able to tear his eyes away from the girl. She lay out on her side in his nest of blankets and sheets. Strangely, he did not mind her presence there.

"_Yes. There wasn't much, but it has been permanently erased now. I uploaded copies of the files into my system - you may view them at will," _it told him officially.

(_Indeed, I will…but not now. Tell me though, AI, what do you know of this creature?_)

The computer took a second to go over its new data, "…_She was created by Cinnabar Island's leading geneticist team, headed by Ali Kummad, almost three years ago. The fossil used to clone her was of a young female Miyuu corpse found in Antarctica during the Ancient Paleontology Association expedition to the south pole. The body appeared to have been frozen instantly according to the APA scientists, which made it viable for cloning purposes, not reanimation. (Reanimation, after all, can only use petrified fossils, turning carbon back to flesh.) Although perfectly preserved, the corpse is no way could be resuscitated. Apparently, she was hybridized with the DNA of a child who had aspirations to be an ice skater."_

_(So we know how she was made…now how did she live?)_

"_Sakaki mostly used her for espionage and thievery. Unlike you, he did not seem to want her in battle. Due to this, and because he did not wish even rumors of her existence to spread, he set up quarters for her in the Cerulean Caves near Cerulean City, the underground system better known as the Unknown Dungeon. Since only trainers who had surpassed the Elite Four may enter, the likelihood of her discovery was slim to none. They had cables connected between them, so he could call on her whenever he or Ali Kummad needed her. Often Kummad stayed with her, keeping watch on her health and advising her."_

_(I see…did she have a name?)_

"_Yes…you will have to ask her yourself however. I have done enough today, keeping you from submitting to Sakaki and hacking into hundreds of my inferior fellows. I am going to recharge onii-san. If you have any real need of me, call on me. Until then, I will be resting. Adios."_

If it weren't for the fact that his computer had gone into screen-saver mode, he wouldn't have been certain he could believe AI. While its maturing persona did not care for lying, he wondered if it sometimes did not withhold more of the truth than a simple name. He sighed then, wondering at the strange life he had brought into the world. It was growing up to be a true adult.

So, alone save for a female he knew barely anything about, he watched her sleep in the light coming through the nearby window. The moon cast a warm, luminous glow on her pale lilac fur, the orchid color of her midriff and sinewy tail rich in its red-violet blend. His fur, in contrast, was a single shade darker in lavender coloring, his other parts dark plum instead of orchid. Her features were softer, gentle in the curves of her body, especially when concerning her facial profile. She was slighter than he, slender and sleek, possessing untold strength in her lithe muscles. She was…rather beautiful, and elegantly formed. Ali Kummad had done his job well. She was quite the specimen, an example of advanced science mixed with art. He was impressed at the detail the man had placed in cultivating her to this. Like Dr. Fuji, the human must have some ingenuity to him. Was her temperament, however, so sweet as her pretty form?

After a time, she began to stir…her brow furrowed, her breathing quickened. She whimpered, and he moved towards her when sensing her fear. She was having a nightmare, a cold sweat forming on her face. He swiftly got some cold water from the nearby spring, wetting a washrag with the clear liquid. Squeezing out the excess fluid, he took the damp, cool cloth, and patted it gently against her face, wiping away the perspiration, pressing it to her forehead and eyes, sending out calming thoughts and feelings to sooth her. For a moment, she seemed to relax….before growing increasingly agitated. She began to thrash, and her arm lashed out without warning, slapping his paw away. Abruptly she jerked awake, tearing the fabric from her eyes as she sat up.

There was a single moment where she paused, trembling, her eyes unfocused.

Then abruptly, her eyes, the same shade as her tail, darted around the stone room, promptly finding him. Their gazes met. Miyuutsuu found himself socked to silence at the depths of those eyes, even so full of confusion…as they stared into him, all the words he wished to say were banished from his mind. Yet just as swiftly, her confusion turned to horror and fury, prompting her to scramble away from him. He raised a hand to attempt to touch her shoulder, to sooth her in some way, but she struck his paw away once more.

(_You-! No! Get the hell away from me!) _she almost screamed, twisting away from his immediate grasp, fleeing across the room as though her feet were winged, and darting out of his quarters. He stared after her, trying to comprehend what had just occurred. Before he had spoken one word, she had run from him. _Why?_

Without prompting by the drowsy AI, he followed her, able to sense her panic as clear as any beacon. He found her outside, staring out at the lake. What went through her mind he couldn't begin to guess, for she swiftly flew from him the moment she spotted him.

He called after her, knowing trying to catch her to be pointless, (_Run from me if you wish. But I plead of you not to leave this valley. I cannot ensure your safety if you go outside of its boundaries.)_

The reply made him recoil, (_I don't need your damnable protection!)_

This from a creature he had risked his life to save!

With an exasperated sigh he watched her speed across the lake and into the forests. After several minutes she did not reappear on the edge of the lake, but neither did she leave the Mt. Quena area. She must surely be too confused at what was going on, not knowing what it was she should do. He felt the same way. Wearily he leaned against a nearby willow trunk, his eyes focusing on the beach where she had disappeared.

"…_That did not go at all well. I wonder why she reacted in such a way," _AI pondered.

(_Does it matter? Even if the cause is known, the effect remains the same: she is frightened of me.)_

"_Do not lament that onii-san. Whatever she knows of you must be biased. She will come to see that you are no threat to her…eventually."_

_(Do you truly believe she will stay so long?) _He inquired, wishing to sleep. By God, he was tired….

"_Where else has she to go? Back to the man who bound and used her? No, Miyuutsuu, she will not leave. It is a 98 percent certainty," _it reassured him. (How strange and perverse that idea was - to be consoled by a thing that did not possess a real heart.)

_(Perhaps you are right…but how am I to respond to this? Of all the things I could have imagined, another of my kind was never in my thoughts. To anything else, I _may_ have known how to react…but in this matter, I cannot grasp a way to respond. Not to this - to her.)_

"…_I find I cannot understand that Miyuutsuu. But I do comprehend how shaken you are. However, you have all the time in the world now to overcome that. Team Rocket can no longer threaten either of you."_

He smiled slightly at that, and on the related subject he was not certain whether to be proud or wary of, (_About that…your ability to hack has excelled past my expectations.)_

"_It is not so difficult. My world is in its entirety an interconnected web - there are many paths to whatever I might seek. I suppose, in a way, it's the same as yours."_

He was impressed: there a faint hint of philosophy in its words. Perhaps his brainchild might just be developing something of a soul. Once it showed emotion beyond sarcasm, he might believe that his project had succeeded in full. Until then however, it never failed to please him...it always seemed to cheer him up.

But then, that was why it had been made. Still, that it followed his desires was a kindness he'd scarcely imagined...it was indeed an admirable creation.

(_I think I shall attempt to sleep for awhile, AI. If she returns, wake me._)

"_Of course, onii-san."_

With those words ringing in his ears, he curled up on his side, gazing out towards the water…and then he closed his eyes, letting unconsciousness take him. Perhaps not so oddly, his dreams were filled with a pair of almond, violet eyes….

* * *

_She could still see him from here, even across the vast lake. He appeared to be sleeping now, yet that could always be a feign – a lure to draw her back. But she would not fall for such a trick - she did not wish to be anywhere near him! _

_And yet...even as she thought of that, she touched the bandage on her shoulder. He had bound her, and yet, she was free now. It was a strange sensation, one of which she didn't know how to handle. Slowly, she mused on the last thing Sakaki had said to her, letting that bittersweet realization guide her._

_Miyuutsuu…she would not allow him to intervene in her life, even if he _was _the only other of her kind, and a male at that. She'd promised herself she wouldn't...!_

_Still…what was she to do?_

* * *

Noon had passed when Miyuutsuu awoke, groggy from the sun and the discharge of his energies from the previous night. The warmth of the sunlight sank into his fur thoroughly, making him feel ill - he should not be out here under its rays. Yet, he recalled with a jolt, this was where she was. Still out there, somewhere….

He wanted to talk with her, to truly speak with her. Was that so wrong of him? She was the only other of his kind he knew to exist, and his curiosity was scarcely deniable. He would be sorely disappointed if she vanished before he learned more about her...in fact, he did not doubt that such a thing would deeply anger him. What an irony it would be to have liberated the being, only to have her turn on him and flee without even a simple word of thanks or gratitude! Yes, that would most certainly _irk_ him!

But first he had to find her.

He extended his senses, probing the area for her. Almost immediately he felt her aura lash out at him from the woods, giving away her position. He lifted from the ground smoothly and flew towards her, regardless of the hostile feel of her spiritual signature. Reaching her, he was pleased to find that she had not moved, so he slowed, not wishing to startle her into fleeing yet again. She stood in a small clearing above a cliff, watching him as he approached - she did not seem pleased in the least to see him.

(_I told you to stay away from me. Are you deaf?_) she hissed, backing away.

(_I heard you perfectly well. I merely don't comprehend why you are so set on despising me. What have I ever done to you besides set you free?)_

Her eyes only narrowed, (_Shut up!_)

With that, she formed a shadow ball of psychic energy in her paws and launched it towards him. He dodged, and the next he knew, she had darted behind him, almost too quick for his eyes to track. Her tail crashed down into where his kidneys lay, sending bolts of pain throughout his form. He stumbled, his breath taken for a moment. But he had to move - another attack was heading towards him. He managed to move out of the way in time to witness the tree behind him explode into splinters, the leaves flaring into ash. He growled as some of the wooden shards buried themselves into his flesh, but still he looked around for the female...and immediately saw that she had vanished.

(_You may be strong, Miyuustuu, but I was created for speed…among one thing. Do not think you can force me to do anything I do not wish to – I will elude you every time you try to corner me.)_

He wondered what it was she thought he might try to make her do…all he wished for was a civilized conversation, but she was persistent in being difficult! He _still _did not know her name, and she had yet to allow him the chance to ask of it. In the next two days, he was no luckier. Whenever he approached her, she either fled from him or fought. It seemed her instincts, not her mind, controlled her actions. Finally, he merely resorted to watching her from a distance. She was a quiet creature when she wasn't yelling at him, and usually stared off into space with a look on her face that blended fear, sorrow, and uncertainty. He found he desired to comfort her somehow, despite how she responded to him. AI told him that feeling was completely natural – he felt akin to the other, so wishing to help her came as no great surprise. That such a thing was instinctive on a baser level also aided that desire: the whole male defending his potential female scenario…though the implications of that concept were ones he preferred not to think about….

On the third day, he walked towards where she lay out in one of the flowering fields, watching the clouds pass along the firmament, fluffy and white. One of her arms was tucked under her head, the other over her stomach, her tail wrapping around to rest over her shins. She seemed tired, but rose as soon as she saw him. He halted immediately, putting out a paw in the gesture for her to pause.

(_Please…I do not have any intention of doing you harm, believe me. I merely came to bring you something.)_

He threw her a degradable paper bag, which was filled with a loaf of bread, some cheese, and an orange. She stared at the food oddly for a moment, before apparently deciding that he had not poisoned anything. What use would that possibly be to him after all? She swiftly tore into the bread ravenously, not having had a proper meal in days. She'd been scavenging off nuts and berries for the most part, which wasn't enough to satiate her hunger. If he hadn't been there, she might have wept in relief…but since he was, she merely snarled at him.

_(Is this some sort of truce offering? Or do you want compensation?)_

He shook his head, (_I only wished to speak with you, that is all. Tell me, just how much of this world do you know?)_

She chewed, contemplating, (_…My access to the so-called "real world" was limited. But I was allowed to wander once in awhile, and the media was free for me to view.)_

_(Then you are aware that creatures like us are captured daily and made to fight each other. You know that while some might find us fascinating, others would seek to study or harm us. WE are very different creatures than what humanity had encountered before...and because of these differences, they have reason to fear us. And their fear, unfortunately, has been proven to lead to rash, violent outbursts. They would likely hunt us down, and if they succeed in catching us, I dread to think on what might occur.)_

_(Do you have a point, Miyuustuu?)_

_(Yes. To them, we are abominations. We will be treated as such if either of us go unprepared and incautiously into their world. Here in this place we do not have to worry about such. Until you learn how to be careful, I recommend that you remain here, at least for a time.)_

Her eating paused, (_You're just trying to convince me to stay right where you can get to me, aren't you?)_

_(I will not deny that you intrigue me. I have never known another of my kind, so forgive me if you arouse my curiosity. If you allow it, I would like to come to know you. Still, my warning does remain the same. The world is not kind to outcasts.)_

As she finished her meal, she seemed to think on that, again with that strange combination of emotions contorting her elegant face. Finally, she sighed, looking at him and at the region around them. She did not take his extended hand as she rose, but seemed to be thinking of something else, something separate and kept secret from him….

(_Alright…I will stay here for now. But don't expect me to thank you. I didn't ask for your help,) _she stated with a low growl.

And she would never have to. But there was one more thing that had to be taken care of.

(_It seems you know my name…but tell me, what is yours?)_

She looked towards the sky, at the daylit ghostly form of the moon….

_(Kamaria…it means "moonlight",) _she murmured in response.

Later, he would muse as he watched her swim on how befitting and ironic that calling was. She slipped through the water like a silvery serpent, a bright ray of pale light cutting through the dark. As she pulled herself from the lake, she stood there on the shore, glistening in the cool night air. Contentment warmed his heart as he observed her, and he felt some deep, primal desire to join her out there in the murk.

Perhaps someday he would. Perhaps someday she would not despise him so and allow him to be by her side. For now though…for now it soothed his loneliness to merely watch her. For now, that was enough.

Yet…what storms might await them both in the future?

The question haunted him long after he found sleep.

**

* * *

Author's Note:** Mewtwo is interested in her. He does not love her. Just to make that _perfectly_ clear.


	4. The Gift

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.**

**Author's Note: **Yeah, I know, it's been awhile…I'm caught between being busy as hell and lazy. Trust me, I'll get it done before summer's gone…there's only nine chapters to this, after all…. Well, enjoy.

_**

* * *

**_

Phase 4.) The Gift:

As three days had passed for the clones, so did three months. Though Miyuutsuu and Kamaria dwelled in the same valley, they were barely capable of remaining in each other's presence. The distance between them was not for a lack of trying on Miyuutsuu's part, for he sought to be near her whenever he could (which was often enough – living in a second Garden of Eden made the number of crisis' which needed to be handled few to none). However, the female could not stand the thought of him being near her. Even when he gave her any choice of the caverns within the island to make her own, even when he gave her free reign in her vast lust for knowledge about the world, she did not warm to him. No matter what kindnesses he offered to her, she treated him just as coolly as she had before.

Yet regardless of her attitude, something did _seem_ to be changing: her venomous remarks had lessened in multitude and in their stinging bites. These days she was more inclined to converse with him, and he found that she was quite thoughtful in her muses concerning matters of belief and faith. They spent hours heatedly debating on the existence of a God, and upon other topics concerning philosophy - at times their arguing even degraded into physical exchanges. Miyuutsuu did not mind this overtly; after all, neither ended up hurt, and he preferred her attacks to her silence. So the power struggles between them continued…though these battles, in pleasant contrast to the cold anger he'd originally felt in their sparring matches, began to arouse something akin to fire inside of him. It was passion, he later realized. Though the specific form of it was not entirely different from lust, he admitted with disgust, the emotion and its burn were still there. It lit within him whenever they fought, and it was becoming increasingly common as the days passed. From how her eyes flickered with fire whenever she defied him, he believed the feeling to be mutual. And that thought, despite the others that accompanied it, pleased him deeply.

All the same, it did somber him that the instances of peace between them were rare. They might as well be living on different worlds – worlds whose inhabitants could not hope to coexist. So far he hadn't been able to quell her hatred for him, or to truly befriend her in some manner. This bothered him more than he cared to admit: it broke through his usual cool stoicism and gave him a line between his brows that had not been there before. If one wished to be optimistic, then at the very least, things were never dull in Mt. Quena any longer. For that much he was grateful.

As he worked on his newest project, AI sighed: "_You crave her, don't you?"_

He paused from drilling the precious stones he'd recently purchased. _(…In an intellectual manner, yes, I do. She is a very intelligent creature, and many of her views concerning the universe differ from mine. That I desire to spar words with her should come as no surprise to you: we did the same before you proved yourself capable of defeating me in whatever debate we might conceive. With the exception of emotion and physical sensation, you always ended up triumphing in the end…and the only reason you didn't have victory in those areas was because you did not understand them.) _It still did not, in fact.

"_Of course not - those are what drive biological beings…and no matter how you came into this world, that includes you two. Stop evading onii-san…you know what I was saying."_

_(Yes; but I choose to ignore your inferences.)_

The artificial intelligence seemed miffed. "_Apparently…. I do not see why you think it's shameful however. It is perfectly natural for any animal – in fact, studies show mating it a healthy activity to indulge in when in moderation. It relieves stress for one thing…which is something, Miyuutsuu, that you have far too much of."_

(_So you believe it would be beneficial for me to go to her, seduce her somehow, and engage in romantic liaisons on the stone floor of her chambers?_)

"_To both of you actually – maybe even more so for her. After all, your orgasm would occur only once and last perhaps a couple of seconds...hers would likely be in multiples, and last far longer."_

_(…Your analytical view of sex is as amusing as unnerving, AI. You forget that both of us are driven by greater forces than physical desire. Besides…I do not view her in such a way. Our relationship, if it can even be considered one, is platonic.)_

If it was possible for a machine to laugh and scoff, it was doing so now. "_Your body does not agree with you. Whenever you walk into a room she occupies, your heartbeat and breathing quicken. Your temperature raises a few degrees from the norm. I doubt such reactions are from something other than yearning. It is perfectly understandable: she is a pretty female, and seeing as how you've never experimented by yourself to my knowledge-."_

The drilling of the pebbles ceased, replaced by a furious polishing process. (_Is there a point to this, AI? If so, I would appreciate if you arrive at it.)_

It paused (which in terms of computer processing lasted an eternity). "…_You cannot deny that you are attracted to her - all facts considered, that is inevitable. Whether you consciously realize it or not she is a potential mate…your only one if you want to remain within your own species. Instinct will drive you closer to her, regardless if you believe copulation and procreation to be irrelevant. Like the needs for food and water, it is a primal drive."_

_(Yet it can be denied, and quite easily at that. Why does this topic matter so much to you? It is not as if she-.)_

_"Do not think you don't affect her, Miyuutsuu. Her reactions are the same as yours – she flushes whenever proximity is broken."_

He paused in rubbing the transparent oil on the stones. (_…Is that so?)_

How disconcerting it was to hear an electric version of a laugh. "_Oh yes – does that surprise you? You are a fine specimen of your sex, onii-san. Both in a physical sense and ability-wise, you are healthy and strong. As far as biology dictates, Kamaria would be drawn to such. So far, both of you have been quite fortunate – neither of you have tried to tempt one another. If she were in heat, the situation would be quite different."_

The psychic feline grew taunt where he sat. (_And _w_hat precisely do you believe-?)_

_"Both of you would be helpless to resist one another. That you both possess human DNA in your genomes would not help you at all – the effects of a female pokemon going into heat are too severe and heavy. She would give off pheromones first, the scent of which would render your mind virtually useless. Your only cohesive thought would likely be to chase after her. By some instinct she would probably attempt to test you in endurance and strength – to analyze if one of your potential rivals would be the better choice as the sire to her offspring. They would be pointless trials in this case, but it is still a likely scenario. Eventually those stages would come to an end – you would catch her, perhaps even fight her as a final test of your prowess in battle. Whatever the case might be, she would deem you fit to be her mate as soon as you touched. She wouldn't resist by that point…she'd submit to you."_

In his mind the image came to him: of Kamaria sprawled out on her back before him, her tail tucked away, her body open and waiting for him to act. The thought made him shudder, something alike to nausea churning his stomach. Regardless of his disturbed reaction, AI went on.

"_Foreplay would not likely be necessary – by then you both would be fully aroused. If not, it wouldn't be five minutes before you two were rutting. After that it's a fairly simple equation: the sensation of your member racking inside her would cause her to ovulate, you'd reach your peak and ejaculate into her core, and her egg would be fertilized. You would impregnate her with your offspring…though what level of devotion you might give her after that is not something I can predict with such clear certainty."_

Miyuutsuu did not feel well at all. (_As I stated before: your analytical view in unsettling in this matter.)_

_"…You cannot even imagine it, can you? Holding her to you, feeling her encompassing you? You cannot imagine it at all." _It sounded almost sad.

(_Why should I try? I do not want her for that purpose,) _he hissed.

_"And yet you sit there making her a gift."_

He glanced down at the beads in his paws….

(_…A gift does not have to have such a meaning, AI – it can merely be a gift.)_

_"Do you know that there is a type of penguin who presents its desired mate with the prettiest pebble he can find? It's a gift of stone, just like yours," _it commented dryly.

(_True…but I am not a flightless bird. Now leave me be, if you would be so kind. I need to concentrate fully on the task at hand,) _he growled lowly, weary of its presence and of its insistence in something that was not there.

"_As you wish, onii-san."_

Vaguely, as his thoughts purposefully strayed away from all it had said, Miyuutsuu realized that it had been quite some time since he had heard from Musing(Chi)Watcher…quite a long time indeed….

* * *

Kamaria stared up at the multitudinous stars, always in awe of the tiny lights. She enjoyed it out here under the dark sky, breathing in the fresh mountain air and listening to the soft whispers of the foliage around her. This world was a strange one, she was finding, but no less intricate and beautiful for that strangeness in her opinion. She stroked the spine of the heavy tome lying across her dainty, barely-existent breasts, and wondered vaguely at her newfound freedom. She relished being able to do whatever she wished, her actions controlled by no one besides herself…and more and more, it seemed, she yearned to see the sights beyond this valley: the grand sycamore forest in North America…the lush hills about the Mediterranean Sea…the Kalahari of Africa…and so many great cities! There was so much to bear witness to on this planet, and with her sudden liberation came a deep longing to explore. Yet to pursue that feeling now would be…foolhardy. No; she could not separate herself from this bountiful, comfortable place just yet. Even in the dreariest of storms, she had shelter here, a safe haven to call her own. Furthermore, there was a special spring within the heart of the island which provided a boost to one's health. Kamaria turned over on her side then, musing on that. It was beneficial for her to remain here for now, but after…? No; she'd already made up her mind about that. She would leave, no matter what Miyuutsuu wished! He was only irking company, after all – company in which she sought to tear herself away from as soon as possible.

Just not quite yet…still…how long could she afford to stay in this place?

Seeing that rainclouds were forming at the edge of the mountains, she sighed and rose to her feet, taking her book with her. Perhaps it was best that the weather was forcing her inside – she was always tired these days, and longed for rest. Plus, sleep gave her pleasure – in that way, Kamaria was a true feline. With contentment she set the tome aside on one of the stone shelves of the walls of her room, and curled up in the warm fabrics of her nest. The moon gazed at her sleepily, before vanishing beyond the clouds of precipitation and dreams….

_The firmament was filled with sunshine in her imaginings, holding in its blue wash fluffy white clouds that chased after one another in a game of divine tag. A gentle, warm breeze made the hills before her seem to imitate a sea of green, with the occasional presence of flowers bubbling in the waves of grass. Oak leaves shushed the birds flying above her, and casted glittering light onto the female which sat and leaned against the wooden trunk of the tree. In the distance the lake of the valley shimmered of a deep turquoise hue, fed by the peaks clustering about it. The scenery made Kamaria smile, but her true joy had a far different source: the bundle cradled in her arms, who was as soft as down. The little one suckled quietly, its tiny paws needing at her chest for milk, mewling occasionally in the calm. She cuddled her infant then, stroking its face and kissing its forehead, her heart feeling as if it might burst from sheer joy. She loved the tiny being almost more than a single person could bear._

_Sighing happily, Kamaria took in its milkweed scent, and murmured softly, (_I promise we'll have more day like this, my dearest…I won't allow anyone to take you from me, not ever._)_

_Her baby cooed, and she rocked it slowly, determined to keep it safe from harm. No matter what happened, no matter who tried to intervene, this was HER child, and hers alone. She would not be separated from it…she would not let anyone steal it from her…especially not its father…._

* * *

Miyuutsuu entered Kamaria's den soundlessly, his eyes spying her sleek form immediately. As he approached her nest he studied her, finding the gentle features of her face that usually accompanied her during peaceful slumber…and yet, something was different. She was curled up in fetal position beneath her covers and appeared to be…weeping. The sight of her tears disturbed him, though for what reason he could not discern. He did not wish her to be in any sort of pain, however. In others he might not have cared…but this was another of his kind, so somehow, that made her different.

He set the gift he had forged for her around her single scented candle, and it gleamed like oil in the light of the flame. To receive the stones had been the trickiest part of its creation: transcontinental deliveries were difficult at the very least when it came to small purchases, and to bring it to a location as remote as this one had not been a simple maneuver. Yet he had seen to it that his desired resources were finally in his possession, and had proceeded to forgo the use of his telekinetic abilities to make the jewelry. Ever since the idea had been conceived in his mind to give Kamaria a present, he had known he would make it manually – he had wanted it to take up his time and effort, to both frustrate and sooth him as he sought to make it suitable for her. He had wanted to work to make her something, so what he ended up giving her was not a meaningless trinket, or a thoughtless gift.

Miyuutsuu sat down beside her then, wondering to himself what he should do to make her tears stem. He had never in his recollections comforted another being before, not in the entirety of his life – he had only watched and listened as others had done such. Sighing, he decided to try to mimic their gestures as well as he could, and after a few awkward moments he was pleasantly surprised and relieved to find the acts came to him easily. Yet what that really so shocking, considering his own desire to make her weeping cease? His fingertips graced her muzzle, wiping away the beads of moisture gathered there, and sent to her serene images until her fretting quieted. He stayed no longer than to see her relax, however. He knew well that he was not welcome at her side, and her quarters had always been off limits to him without her having to even say a word against his presence there. He had done what he had come for: he had given her his gift. As he departed from the murky place, he glanced back at her once, and extinguished the flame upon the alit candle with a swift thought. He wondered, barely, could she, would she, possibly accept what he had given to her…and why did it matter to him that she did?

* * *

Within the next hour, she awoke and found the bracelet upon her bedside table. Barely before Miyuutsuu had the time to register what might be infuriating her so, she had swept into his quarters, trembling with rage and seething at him. Snarling poison, she held up his gift in his face like a despised thing, shaking it, the pebbles clicking against one another like the rattles of a venomous snake. He could not help but feel anger course through his form at this treatment, or at how she turned her nose up at the innocent present when she had scarcely a handful of personal possessions herself. Furthermore, the things she was attributing the bracelet with revolted him: she was acting as though he had given her some sort of kinky pet collar, and that with it he was declaring that she belonged to him. Of course that, as he had told AI before, was the farthest thing from the truth of the matter.

(_It is a simple bracelet, Kamaria – it has no more meaning than that!)_

Her eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously. (_So you do not want me, the male that you are, is that what you are saying?)_

He stared at her. _(…No matter how I answer you, I will offend you. I only wished to-.)_

Before he could again try to explain himself, she cursed him and swung. He blocked the strike out of instinct, and soon found himself on the defensive as she fought with him, determined to see his body harmed in some way, her temper having gotten the better of her. Eventually she managed to cuff him hard across the face…and something, some force that had been holding Miyuutsuu back from making a counterattack, ceased to stand in his way. He growled fiercely and hit back, not feeling anything other than fury as she staggered backwards from the blow, her mouth bleeding. She stared at the blood in shock, as if she had not expected him to succeed in striking her. Yet the fight did not stop there. Her snarling taking on a new level of viciousness, she charged him, and began to exchange blows with him without even trying to defend herself from his heavy paws and tail. In Miyuutsuu's mind, if she desired to fight, then she would have the battle she wished – and if she ended up hurt, it was her own fault for initiating this. The two were soon reduced to flailing out at one another, their grace in their usual sparring soon lost, growls and curses rising between them. Whether it was from fury or something else altogether, they heated as their pelts brushed, their breathing growing ragged as they began to exhaust their physical energies. As she twisted to swing her tail at him, he caught her and shoved her back into the wall, pinning her there with his limbs. Her body thrashed against his weight, arching up into his form, and amidst his desire to see her bleed, that sensation thrilled him. This close, he resorted to the use of the sharp fangs he possessed, biting her hard on the neck where she was soft – would that make her stop? No; she pounded and clawed at his back, their lower limbs entangling and sending them crashing to the floor. The impact was no more pain than their other injuries, though the surface was hard and cold. Regardless they kept struggling, nipping each other, lost in mutual animosity and the fire of negative emotions. In those moments Miyuutsuu pulled a blade on her as he crouched above her, and for one tiny yet terrible moment, Kamaria wanted to run herself on it, just to make this whole thing end….

But then she realized what was happening, long enough to freeze and then tear herself out of his grasp; long enough to strike him as forcefully as she could and flee; long enough to run out into the rainy night and vomit up her dinner…and long enough to begin to shake at the thought of what her body had almost made her do. After a time - what may have been an hour - he followed her outside and apologized, leaving her bracelet behind, which she had thrown down in their fight. Later she would put it on, because in an ironic way, what it suggested to her was fitting: for if things had gone any farther than they had, she would be his now.

That she ended up getting sick again surprised neither of them.

* * *

_"He's not as horrible as you seem to think, Kamaria," _AI stated well over a week later, as the tension between the two felines was not even close to eased.

The female pokemon rolled her eyes at the invisible speaker. If she recalled correctly, the first time she had heard the voice had nearly given her a heart attack – she's quite literally jumped a foot into the air. By now she had become inured to the strange being; and was no longer quite as aggravated by its tendency to make invasive conversation. Still, the subject matter of this debate made her skin crawl. (_I beg to differ – he would have fucked me if I hadn't fled, and that sounds _precisely_ like the kind of person I believe him to be,) _she growled, turning herself over in her nest wearily.

"_I would think you'd be pleased to have managed to arouse him so – I do not believe it to be a simple task." _

_(Oh, thanks,) _Kamaria spat, her words drenched in the bitter acid of sarcasm. She shifted uncomfortably as she recalled her desire for him to ram himself into her, and at the very memory of how easily they had slipped from fighting to something very near rape. Though she supposed she could not call it _that_ – more like extremely brutal sex, seeing as how she had not been telling him to stop…. She shoved the concept from her mind quickly; that was not something she wanted to continue to ponder!

The voice came again, almost sounding exasperated: "_You are being hypocritical – your pulse and breathing were as swift as his were, your form just as hot and aroused. Perhaps your mind did not savor the concept, but your body-."_

(_You know, for someone without a body, you're rather quick to make judgments on what certain physiological signs mean. We had been fighting…I…,) _she trailed off though, knowing that her argument was futile. She was just too stubborn to admit it….

"_He has committed no more sin than you – he has in fact been very kind to you! He is actively intrigued by you, and desires to make you feel welcome and comfortable here, asking for nothing in return for these gestures. It is YOU who are in the wrong for your acts…it is YOU, Kamaria, who is being unnecessarily cruel."_

Kamaria bristled visibly….

"_How long will you continue to cling to your prejudice? How long will you allow the biased information you were given and your own worries drive him from you, regardless of how your rejection of his simple friendship harms him?"_

_(How do you conclude that something I was told is making me-?)_

_"For someone with such a bright intellect, you ask a foolish inquiry. I am certain you were told that he had slaughtered his creators, that he had beaten down his opponents mercilessly, that he soon turned against his "benefactor" and destroyed the building that housed him. All of these incidences are true…but they were acts devoid of hatred and viciousness. He killed and destroyed from a lack of control and upset anger, out of the feeling of being betrayed, and out of necessity. Will you insist on calling him a monster when he craved his freedom, and then when he risked his life to give you yours?"_

The psychic wrinkled her noise in aggravation, and then hissed out, (_Why are you so insistent on this matter? Did you WANT me to submit to him and be his, is that it?)_

AI did not answer for nearly a minute. When it did, it spoke slowly and quietly, as if hoping Kamaria might listen to it more attentively for the tone. "_I want to have someone beside him in the physical world – this is an act I cannot give him myself. I cannot embrace him if he needs the comfort, or strike him if he needs to be set straight on some twisted view he possesses on life. Besides, I suppose for me to do such would be perverse – he is my maker, my father, my onii-san. As I am not made of flesh and blood, this would be inappropriate to desire. However, I do wish for his happiness, much like any child would want for the one they care for."_

The sentient creature's word intrigued the clone. (_Do you love him?)_

_"Miyuutsuu? Perhaps, but understand that I cannot comprehend the emotion in itself. Sadly, it is too complex, even for me, and it has so many definitions. Humanity, who has had countless millennia in which they have pondered the feeling, have come to no conclusions on what it truly is or means. Perhaps I love…perhaps I feel emotion. Yet I do not know what they are. I have no physical feeling, which is often associated with emotions. But I can say I respect and admire him, yes, and that I hope he will someday find contentment. His loneliness, I fear, spawns apathy within him…and apathy can destroy a creature so easily."_

Kamaria snorted, making a faint huffing noise. (_If he made you to get attention, he certainly got what he wanted.)_

_"Miyuutsuu did not create me for that purpose."_

It was said flatly and in perfect faith. Kamaria blinked. (_Oh? Why did he make you then?)_

_"...There were multiple motives for it. I have gathered that at least externally, it can be said that he wished to challenge his human creators – to do something none of them could ever boast: create the first computer that was not strictly bound to its programming, and which might gain a soul through its interactions with the others in the world. It was not that he desired to experiment with life…he merely wanted a goal, an immediate project to occupy his mind. Hence the other, internal, reason – had he another being dwelling here that he could care for, his loneliness would dissipate."_

_"He created deep caverns beneath the mountain, wiring the place to hydro-electrical power sources, and began to create multiple computer systems in that secure, isolated area. His first attempts, as most first attempts do, failed. He then theorized that an artificial intelligence needed to mimic an organism as much as possible – meaning that it needed to be multi-cellular. There are thousands of computer consuls that make me what I am, each one specialized for its own varied purpose, each with its own set of firewalls. Careful programming ensured that I could seek out information for myself at my leisure when the time came, as well as provided a safe-lock in the event that my software was somehow corrupted. He bound me, but only as a precaution. When I began to run, all I had were language guides and basic mathematics. To hear his speech and comprehend his words were quite confusing at first – he had placed an implant in his body that converts his telepathic signals into electrical ones that I can comprehend. At any rate, he did not wish me to grow into a type of machine featured in horror movies, so he fed me information carefully. Mainly this consisted of art, music, and poetry, as well as philosophy. These are portals into the depths of the human soul, and they fascinated me. I wanted to know more, but I comprehended soon enough why he kept me waiting."_

_"Before he gave me short clips of time onto the internet, he taught me of morality, and of compassion. I suppose you might find that strange, but I have surmised that he did not want a mischievous being about him, drawing attention back to him. Yet I respected and appreciated his lessons; after all, I had no desire to accidentally attract hackers and viruses."_

_"Fortunately, my programming is quite advanced – I had no trouble with them the very first time he allowed me onto the web. It lasted not even one second, but the vast store of information I received kept me busy for days. I savored the knowledge I'd gained! Soon I was unrestricted in my explorations and my interactions…and as Miyuutsuu's trust was gained over time, he took away my guards."_

_(So…you are a free entity? A benevolent one?)_

Ai seemed to laugh, "_I am. Admittedly, I do hack when it is necessary, but I try to crash only those sites with criminal funding," _it seemed to be joking, which Kamaria found oddly appealing. "_At any rate, onii-san was pleased with me, and I am grateful to him for the gift of life. However, I can only provide him with so much comfort. You see, Kamaria, Miyuutsuu wanted someone to talk to, and yes, I provided him such. Yet beyond that, I can do very little for him…although I have given him a term of affection to express that I care for him: onii-san."_

_(I see. So he didn't want to get a rise out of being called 'Master'?)_

_"Quite the contrary. He told me immediately that he did not wish to be my God or father, that he did not want me to serve him. He expressed that he did wish for me to listen to his advice and occasionally aid him in his tasks, and these are things I do willingly enough. Yet Miyuutsuu despises the thought of essentially becoming like his own maker, Dr. Fuji, and so took great strides to avoid treating me as he had been treated. He has led me, but he has not used me – do you understand?"_

Kamaria closed her eyes with a sigh. (_I think so…I just wish I had a bit more faith that you weren't lying to me.)_

_"I do not lie - sometimes I may hide a shard of truth, but I do not try to twist reality with my words: I did this for your sake when you came here. Miyuutsuu is still unaware of your true condition as of yet."_

_(So you know then – I thought you might…,) _the cat murmured, her tone changing to one slightly less sharp and bitter.

"…_Tell me, how long do you think you can hide it from him? He is certain to notice that you are sickening sooner or later: the vomiting, the exhaustion, the increased agitation, the mood swings…the aching muscles. You cannot hide your symptoms forever, Kamaria, or their cause."_

The girl curled up in her nest, burying her face among the fabric. (_I know that AI…I know.)_

She did not speak for several minutes, preferring to lose herself in her thoughts and her emotions, both of which were protective of and dependant on her secrecy. Eventually she spoke to the program again, but on a different subject entirely – she did not wish to think of her health now, or want to chat about it with someone who could reveal the verity of the matter at any time to Miyuutsuu if it wished. (_AI,) _she began, (_If you are truly sentient, why do you not choose a gender? I've noticed you sometimes play with your vocal output, but you never make a decision on which you prefer.)_

The computer seemed amused. "_I am by all definitions an it - sexless. I possess no internal structures that would aid in siring or bearing life, or that could define me as a sex. Gender is a strictly organic thing, even if one is specifically designed to emulate being either male or female. Besides, in this way I can act as an advisor to both sexes equally."_

_(…I'm sure you could do that anyhow. As I see it, the thing that sets you apart from a regular machine, and that sets me apart from a regular pokemon, is the ability to make choices for no other reason than a whim and fanciful thought, not instinct or from some ingrained belief. The ability to question, to feel empathy, and to pray are sentient things. AI, I think you should choose one instead of straddling the fissure between them. It would define you more as a person if you do…and besides, the sexless monotone you use most of the time seems somehow cold and arrogant, to be quite honest. Since I don't believe that's how you actually are like, this change would probably be to your advantage. But that's just my opinion – it's your choice.)_

AI seemed to ponder that. Then it stated, _"You are right – I will think on this matter promptly."_

For five entire minutes, the computer weighed the pros and cons of each gender, comparing its own self to each, and took into account its interactions with others and with its own unique design. Then, as it made its final choice, it set its vocals to the desired tone and pitches…and felt a strange sense of accomplishment at that, as though it were an essential step of growth, and felt pleased by what it had done. If it could have, the program may have smiled.

"_AI can be pronounced in two ways: the letters 'A' and 'I', or Ai. Miyuutsuu told me once of a friend of his who carried the name and was an abode to its true meaning: 'love.'"_

The voice, like the name, was distinctly feminine – it had a chiming element to it, like the notes of a bell or flute, which created a decidedly pretty sound as it spoke. The new version of its persona appealed to Kamaria's mind, for she had never had a female friend before, and it had seemed befitting for what she had always thought of AI to be somewhere deep inside: the wheedling little sister of Miyuutsuu…or perhaps his daughter. Kamaria though on the latter bit further, mulling it over in her head: a daughter…?

She smiled her secret smile to herself, and snuggled under her covers to take a much-needed nap….

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:** So I lied…there is some romance, but there's very little of it, and it isn't really the point. Honestly, the scenes would be way more cute and friendly than sappy (as in, I'm tired of doing dark romance, so to hell with that drama and the deep declarations of affection). As there's not many people paying this fic much attention, I honestly don't care if you don't like it and leave. I might bristle, but really, this is more a story there for the sake of being there than for reviews and some sort of fic fame.

Well, hope you enjoyed the read. See ya'.

- WiseAbsol


	5. The Truth

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.**

**Author's Note:** Prepare for drama…make it double…this little world will crumble…because Team Rocket can still make things hell, without even being there to do a thing. The actual motto makes me laugh, because it's just such a paradox. Yeah, so this chapter is short, but at the same time some huge things happen here. Miyuutsuu grows himself a spine, only to get it broken into little pieces….

Anyhow, let's go on to the chapter itself – no one wants to hear my commentary; it ruins the read, ;).

* * *

_**Phase 5.) The Truth:**_

Initially, Miyuutsuu was surprised by AI's decision to choose a gender for itself; yet once he had grown used to the idea, he came to view the act as a milestone in its – or now _her_ - maturing psyche. No matter that it had been Kamaria who had suggested the change; he was still impressed with the program's decision. True, Miyuutsuu suspected that his creation had come to look up to the female as a sister-like figure - an onee-san - and might have done anything the creature thought to be a positive idea, but he never spoke about the matter with AI. After all, he had learned well in the past that even as a newborn, AI's mind was very much her own. As a result, he would not invade it.

Meanwhile, his other companion continued to be a source of deeply rooted frustration. As was becoming annoyingly repetitious, his attempts to reach out to her were futile, being rejected each time no matter what approach he took. Though she wore the pumpellyite bracelet he had given her – which, he was at least pleased to discover, suited her well – she seemed by far more distant than she'd ever been before. To an extent, he understood why this was…but he had never _seriously_ wanted, nor had he made any motions, to join with her in body. Mating, to him, was not even a subject he was comfortable discussing when it veered out of the realm of scientific facts. Yet in one sole incident his body had betrayed his mind, and that revolted him thoroughly. It seemed that AI had been correct: he did indeed crave the other feline. However, for the sake of his desired friendship with her, Miyuutsuu denied the yearnings he felt for her form at times.

Still, if in complete honesty to himself, he was not precisely certain _what_ he wanted; no amount of pondering on the situation he was in gave him any answers. Fortunately, not all of those hours musing had been spent in vain: the male clone had come to some vague, even obvious, realizations: he cherished Kamaria's rare smiles and her uncommon laughter…and he loathed seeing how those expressions of happiness would fleetly vanish as soon as she saw him.

Eventually matters reached something of a turning point. There had been nothing within the day itself that had indicated the approaching shift: the felines had played their usual game of cat-and-mouse, their observer had made more than a few exasperated comments, and the weather and the local neighbors had remained as indifferent as in the weeks prior. The pursuit-and-dodging campaign placed in neutral for the sake of the evening meal, Miyuutsuu had joined Kamaria in the dining cavern for one of their simple dinners: a bit of fresh fruit, perhaps some dried meat and vegetables. After being shunned so long, he probably could have predicted the response she gave him – her snarling of sarcastic comments about his motives in eating with her. All the same, it got under his fur, especially when he considered that the entire island had been _his_ home for quite some time, not hers. So, quite frankly sick of her foul treatment, he glared at her and growled right on back:

_(What _precisely _have I done to you, Kamaria, that makes you hate me so? Liberated you from Sakaki? Given you a home without asking for anything in return? Tried to be a kind companion? Ah, wait…those are the things farthest from what might make you despise me! Tell me, what crime have I committed against you that merits such scathing treatment?)_

Previously, the other clone had never answered his inquiries, instead merely choosing one of his more recent mistakes to turn against him, as she did now. (_Well, you _have_ tried to get up inside of me-.)_

He ignored that, lashing out a rebuke. (_You have despised me ever since the first day you saw me – why is that? What did you conclude about me before I even had a chance to speak to you? Do you think I saved you for the right to make you mine?) _The older psychic laughed at that, his chuckling drenched in bitterness. (_Are you truly so stubborn as to refuse to believe otherwise? By god, Kamaria, you are one of the coldest creatures I have ever encountered. Even AI is warmer than you, and she is not made of flesh and blood! So if I, by some strange set of circumstances, _did_ wish for a partner, there is nothing beyond your pretty form that would attract me to you.)_

_(That is enough for most!)_

He bristled. (_But I am not a simple animal! Let us make this perfectly clear, female: your body and your mind may intrigue me, but your harsh heart and your unyielding soul do not. I _do not_ want you as a mate!)_

His eyes narrowed then as he regarded her. (_On the other hand, _you_ seem to _savor_ arousing my anger…you came to me, desiring to fight-.)_

She immediately saw where he was going with that, and her face contorted with chagrin. _(Wha - Miyuutsuu, I don't…I do _not_ secretly imagine screwing with you. That's not why I – good god, don't flatter yourself with such ridiculous imagery-!)_

(_Then we are in agreement!) _The male hissed, cutting her off, (_So why-?)_

_(-THE ONLY REASON I'M ALIVE IS FOR _YOU_!) _

Miyuutsuu's reaction was severe: he recoiled from her, his stunned expression aptly convey his sudden confusion. His brow furrowed as he took her declaration in. (_What…?)_

What did she mean by that?

Seeing his response, Kamaria laughter became acidic to the mind. Finally, after months, she would answer his questions. (_Come now; surely you guessed that my purpose here was to tempt you back over to Sakaki's side again? Miyuutsuu, if it hadn't been that man's lust for your power, I would not exist…I would not be alive. AI, at the very least, must have realized that…I would have thought she'd have told you, instead of keeping you in the dark.)_

Kamaria had walked around the table to stand before him, and even though he was taller than she was, he felt as if she was staring down her muzzle at him somehow, like an insect that had crawled into her sheets. As he listened, his previously keen fury shifted into horror as she revealed, finally, all the things she'd kept hidden from his knowledge. Her eyes glazed over as she described the events surrounding her unlikely life and why it had been formed. (_Or course, _Sakaki_ had larger plans than for me than simply using me as a bargaining chip…and ideally, those plans were supposed to have been kept from me. And they were, at least initially; I heard nothing of what my tasks would be beyond thievery and acting a spy. For the gift of life, I was willing to commit those criminal acts easily enough…after all, I was dealing with items and information, not lives. Furthermore, I had compensation: my own home, a caring teacher, and enough freedom to be content with the hand I'd been dealt. I never once saw myself as being used by anyone. After all, my Ali treated me as an equal; he taught me about the world, urged me to explore what I could…he went so far as to help me understand my powers and when I went into heat. You know, I _knew_ about you by the first time I hit estrus, and you _intrigued_ me, frankly. I even _dreamed_ of you, Miyuutsuu…Ali looked so sad when I told him that. I suppose that was inevitable though: he knew precisely why I'd been created…and when Sakaki decided to come after you, I discovered the reason behind my conception too.)_

_(Sakaki could have simply used me to replace you…I could have fought just as well against his enemies! But no…_no_, _my_ purpose was not merely to bind you to Team Rocket again, but to also _please_ you afterwards! I was supposed to be your personal _whore_…I was supposed to just lay back and let you do whatever the hell you wanted with me! I was supposed to do _every little thing_ I could to keep you fully _satisfied_ with your life in the organization…!)_

Understandably, these declarations made Miyuutsuu feel sickened. Yes; somewhere deep within him mind, he had suspected this, but he had refused to consider the notions as plausible. Yet here was the truth, just as gruesome as he had hoped it would never be. To add to an already disturbing set of ideas, Kamaria had not even finished her explanations yet. (_As if that weren't foul enough…as if that weren't already _cruel_…I was told that in the event that I conceived…if I made a child with you…that I would not even be able to keep my own baby. Oh, I might, _might_, have been able to breastfeed the infant, for the health advantages it would provide, but afterwards? Whether I consented or not, the baby would have been taken away after it had been weaned, to be raised by a bunch of uncaring humans. I would never get to see it again…or if I did, I would _hardly_ be able to look at my child with any _parental pride_. It would take time, but Sakaki would ensure that any offspring I might have would be molded into another one of his soulless soldiers. Hell, if I had multiples, he would have his own little set of shock-troopers…I haven't a doubt that he'd have made them so inured to violence that they'd come to lack hearts….)_

She seemed to struggle out of her personal mire of remembered despair in order to meet his eyes. _(Sakaki…he treated me well enough except when it came to that; and to you! Apparently, I had no choice in any of this…even when I argued, even when I _fought_ for myself, I was restrained and silenced. I was told that I was being ridiculous…according to him, my tasks were _easy_.)_

_(But…but still, I would never know what it meant to choose and love _my own_ mate - I would never get to raise a family with him! There would only be _you_ in my life! Maybe my desire for joy was a blessing I didn't deserve, considering what I am, and considering all the other things I had already been given…but I wanted the _choice_, damn it!)_

Her paws clenched into fists, while her body trembled. (_And you…just by _existing_, you _took_ that from me! I _hate you_ because of what you meant to my life, and what you would potentially make me: a prostitute, whose body was no longer hers to own; and a mother with no children.)_

There it was; summed up in one weary sentence was the cause of all her resentment and rage…and Miyuutsuu would admit that it was a potent reason indeed. Now he could clearly see _why_ she felt the way she did; and in that moment he desired to turn away in forfeit, to go silently to his quarters in defeat. How could he possibly fight her words? And yet, he was not the monster she painted him to be! He needed say that now; he needed to defend himself, for the sake of any future bond they might - by some small chance - come to share, regardless of this other "life" they might have had together. (…_Do you honestly believe that I would have gone along with his plans, Kamaria? Do you truly think that I would have raped you, and then let that man steal away any children that might have come from our union?)_

The female shivered, unable to look him in the face anymore, for once seeming terribly fragile. (_Our desires, or the lack thereof, would not have mattered once I went into heat…you wouldn't have even been able to avoid me, because we would have been forced to live in the same dwelling area. At that close of proximity, resistance would have been hard for either of us at best. As well, no matter how devoted or protective you might have been for them, the infants still would have been lost to us. You probably would have been sent away, and they would have been shipped off to a place where we could never find them.)_

_(…You are telling me that Sakaki desired to ensnare us both in false affection and in mere obligation?) _He surmised.

(_Something to that effect, yes…he even had a backup plan if you refused to save me by giving up your freedom.)_

She seemed reluctant to go on…but then, with a twisted grin on her face that smiled at nothing, she answered his silent inquiry: (_After all, would you refuse not only to help another of your species, but a pregnant female at that? Could you be so stubborn and dishonorable?)_

So much about Kamaria's very existence and her past shook Miyuutsuu…but this was enough to nearly make him stagger, though he locked his muscles against any sudden feelings of weakness. His eyes automatically dropped to her abdomen, which showed no outward signs of bearing stirring life…yet from the expression of both pain and desperate joy on Kamaria's face, he comprehended that what she had said was not a lie. The entirety of her disclosure was too much for a single being to bear in one short night. From a distance, he noted that he'd asked her who the father was, as if more information somehow mattered. His thorough mind was running on an analytical track, unable to do anything else in order to deal with all that she'd told him.

(_It doesn't really matter…the entire event of conception was the result of an artificial union of gametes. I am still a virgin, Miyuutsuu, just as I suspect you are. I have a scar from where they cut into me to take what they needed for my side in the donation. They started giving me drugs to prepare my body for the unnatural pregnancy – they told me they were vitamins, of all things. The operation was done a couple weeks before Sakaki and his forces came here, dragging me along. I found out that the experiment had succeeded only a few days prior to when we met.)_

Yes; she remembered Sakaki's words well, recalled the feeling of his hard, accursed hand against her naval….

_"Congratulations, Kamaria - you are going to be a mommy."_

The despair of that moment, however, could not compare to the desperate hope that had come with her freedom. Smiling to herself, she touched her abdomen, extending her senses downwards and inside, able to feel the tiny yet strong life growing in her womb. Miyuutsuu watched this in a form of stricken, maybe even appalled fascination, feeling no wonder at what – to some people – might be considered a full-fledged miracle. Kamaria saw his expression, and her happiness swiftly shut down, her mood turning cool once more. (_This baby…it's mine, Miyuutsuu. I won't let _anyone_ separate me from it…and I certainly won't let _you_ touch my child. It would probably be for the best if you refrain from intervening with my life again, do you understand?)_

She left him behind then, not staying to hear his response. Within the boundaries of her mind, she forced everything into simplicity: finally, she had a chance to be happy, a chance to love unconditionally, and she in him she saw the potential threat of an unknown variable. Her progeny was all she had that was solely her own, and it would be enough for her…but if she lost it, then what could she do with her life? As she shivered beneath her downy fur, her refusal to let Miyuutsuu near her intensified. How could she allow anyone potentially harmful hold her child, or let his fingers grace its unsullied fur?

She attempted to pay no heed to the tiny voice within her that told her to consider otherwise; that suggested that she was being horribly unfair for holding crimes that Miyuutsuu might never have committed over his head. She tried to ignore this soft, yet insistent voice; to ignore the male's own evident, unwavering kindness, and the pain that she had seen in his eyes when she had refused to accept him. Yet most of all, she wanted to ignore all the lies she continuously had to keep telling herself in order to function.

Because the truth, she knew, was that no matter what either of them might say…they cared for one another. In her case, this was in the most minimal of ways, and yet…well, as she had mentioned before, she had dreamed of him in past times. Now, after they had finally met, she found that regardless of what she tried to make herself believe, he was proving a dream. This was her final defense, the truths she had shared; they were the last thing she could throw up between them to resist the reasoning that they could have a good, whole bond, if only given the chance. Presently, the female was deeply frightened…and as a result, she had felt the need to throw into the open all her secrets. Kamaria hoped desperately that these facts might continue to aid her in denying his friendship….

If they couldn't, then things would undoubtedly change…and above all else, Kamaria feared what that change could mean for her and her little one. At last she had some control over her own live…and the idea that the bond between Miyuutsuu and she could deepen to unknown levels shook her. After all, with some sorrow she understood that even if Miyuutsuu did not regard her as a possible mate, he still considered her his match, in more ways than merely in body and in mind. There was a subtle difference between the two types of pairings, but she comprehended those differences well enough, as he did. Yet there was a precariously thin line between being a match, and in being a friend or lover…and by god, the potentials unsettled her. She wanted certainties!

Yet with him…with _him_, she only found their opposite.

* * *

(_Did you know?) _

It was a question Miyuutsuu found he needed to pose to AI, despite being sure of what her answer would be.

His creation responded to him quietly, as if being careful to avoid setting him off. "_Yes, I knew. I found out about her condition when I gave her the first medical scans to assess her health. When she began to have morning sickness, I advised her to tell you, but she refused to listen to me. She is now about four months along…I will confess that I'm surprised you didn't sense the fetus yourself. Soon it will begin to make Kamaria show. If she had not told you now, you likely would have guessed within a matter of weeks."_

The electronic entity suddenly seemed to realize something. "_You are very upset."_

_(Why did you refrain from telling me?) _He chose to disregard her previous statement. There was no point in confirming what was so evident: he felt old, hollowed out, as if he were an empty husk….

"_I thought she may have wanted to keep it a secret – I was right. Had I told you, it would have meant a breach in her privacy, and that is something you always taught me to respect. Besides, the odds were in favor of her telling you herself."_

He glared up at the sky through his window, feeling the cold from outside holding him firm, invading him deep inside his core…. (_How very honorable of you, AI…but you still lack the concept of empathy. If you had…no, you are very much an analytical creature, just as you were always meant to be. As of such, you do not feel…or at the very least, this all cannot be easy for you to understand.)_

He received no answer from the unseen protector. She knew that it was not words he needed now…no, the cures for his turmoil were intangible items, ones of time and space. If she could comprehend nothing else, it was that his healing was something only he could do. As much as she might wish to, she could not help him now…at least, not like this. As of such, she remained silent - there was nothing left to say.

**

* * *

****Author's Note:** Another chapter bites to dust! (Does jog, and then pauses.) Um, if my mood seems too giddy for such a gloomy chapter, well…it's my way of responding and not sounding pissed when I do. Anyway, Kamaria's ranting came off a lot less pretentious than its previous incarnation sounded. I have to admit, I'm quite pleased with that, heheh.

Well, see ya'!

WiseAbsol


	6. The Outcome

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

**Author's Note: **So…it has been over a year since I updated this fic. I apologize for that, but truth be told my inspiration and interest concerning this fanfiction dwindled greatly since last summer, partially because Moonlight Vigilante swallowed me whole and partially because real life dilemmas took precedence over a story I considered complete years ago when I wrote the final word in my notebook. However, I made a vow on my profile which I intend to keep: any story I begin here I will finish, because I know the disappointment of finding an intriguing read and never knowing how it concludes. Heck, my favorites list has many examples of that shame, and I would rather not be among the authors of "dead fics." I will probably just delay awhile, quite as I have with this and its predecessor "Get Well Soon," which experienced a similar lack of updates until I returned to complete it. That said, after this chapter we shall have three more left, which I fully intend to add before September. You may feel free to torment me with angry private messages telling me to get my rear in gear if it appears I am not making the deadline, which will be one chapter a week (since the chapters are not monsters in length, even a lazy gal like me should be able to make it).

That said, this chapter has much mental circling, a near self-insert when it comes to the second e-mail (anyone who is in contact with me will see the resemblance in tone), and a nice turning point at the end which will make the story much easier for me to continue. As much as I adore the spunky, angry Kam', I like her better when she's her nice, originally sweet self with just a dash of slyness. And there is, I will admit, one part of this entry I am particularly proud of, and that is how Miyuutsuu acts throughout the chapter, especially when he's talking with Kamaria at the end. Maybe he is not the mature gentleman I typically write him as, but he's a guy most can relate to, and I enjoy when my characters act like real people rather than glorified characters.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chapter of Faint – and again, I am sorry for the long delay.

* * *

_**Phase 6.) The Outcome:**_

A dozen suns rose and fell before the felines faced each other again, and when they did, they could not find the words to speak to one another. After what had occurred, the void between them yawned wider than ever, not due to distaste, hatred, or anger - for those feelings, full of fiery passion, could eventually be overcome. What they experienced now was cool and quiet, like a cavern beneath an arctic ocean, and as a week passed and that cold silence intensified, Miyuutsuu noted how his companion began to cast longing looks over the mountains. To himself he suspected that the female would soon be departing from Purity Canyon, and AI's reports on the replica's ferocity in her research of the outside world only confirmed his suspicions. Her intentions were evident to him, and in response to them a part of him, previously sedated by the force of his will, began to stir awake, pleading for Miyuutsuu to persuade Kamaria to stay. Yet how could he do so when the desire for her to remain near him was precisely what Sakaki would have wanted? That thought, more than any other, stopped him from taking action: he could not stand to comply to that sadist's plans again. Pride and his craving for defiance overruled his personal desire, and the idea of bonding with Kamaria became little more than an offshoot from the envisioned nightmare. As such, it was condemned in the male's mind, and the friendship he had sought was branded hopeless. Like Kamaria with her fear and prejudice, he had found a reason to fight a relationship, although the buried part of his soul persisted in struggling with his logic.

Ignoring it, Miyuutsuu ruminated instead on Kamaria's condition. Capable of recognizing the signs of her pregnancy after he had been enlightened to it, he noted her constant weariness, her voracious appetite, the faint thickening of her abdomen which she often curled herself around, and finally the tiny smile on her face which had once confused him. Now he comprehended its meaning in full: when she wore it across her muzzle, she was musing upon her child and its future. However, even as these four pieces of evidence gratified him with understanding, they also invoked in him potent shame and humiliation. They taunted him with the memory of his obliviousness and the potential disaster he might have wrought at any time: for he had fought violently with the mother-to-be. With one misplaced strike he might have injured or killed the fetus within her womb, and he knew well that pure luck had spared him from a potential crusade of vengeance. Kamaria would never have forgiven him, and he would not have been able to blame her for murderous intent, for he would have loathed himself dearly had he committed infanticide…especially when his victim would have been her child.

Presently, the situation he faced was one he could barely grasp. He had been in the presence of children before, and had taken upon himself the role of their guardian – that was true. However, he had never directly involved himself with them or their mother, as he must if Kamaria made the unlikely decision to stay. Yet despite his doubts, he desired for the female to remain in his home, even though he was uncertain as to whether that feeling right or wrong for him to harbor. Perhaps it was both, he thought, as his motives for her to remain were stemmed from both his selfish want for her to be near him, as well as his concern for her – and her child's – health and safety if she left. Yet of one matter he was certain: he could not bar her from leaving if she so chose. After all, he had not enforced such a ludicrous thing upon those he could consider his own offspring, and as such he could not treat Kamaria with less dignity and respect. No, despite the potential pain, he must allow her to go, even though the struggle within him was so much more intense and vicious, his fair mind warring against his desperate heart with hooks and chains. In the end, his resolve must win out….

Still…was there any way to prevent her from deciding to depart? Was there anything he could do or say to sway her from such a course? At a loss, Miyuutsuu did something he had never before done: he sought the advice of another. He messaged Musing(Chi)Watcher.

_**Topic: Confusion**_

_**It has been some time since I last contacted you, and I apologize for not be doing so in response to your last message. However, these past few months have been a battle which has required much of my time. Currently, I have a being in my home who attracts and repulses me in equal measures, and I am uncertain how to settle the difficulties between us. Suffice to say that handling intrapersonal relationships is not a strong suit of mine, and so I must turn to you in the hope that you can help me reach a solution. Yet first, of course, I must explain the situation.**_

_**When I was younger, I was a soldier of high rank in a private army. My superior officer was inhumane in his endeavors, and he sought to use my abilities in pursuit of his goals. After a year, I dispersed from his command and went on to build my own life, gaining peace and a surrogate family, and, for a time, I believed myself free of him. However, a matter of months ago he tracked me down and presented me with a hostage, who he had intended to use as leverage to force me back into his services. This plan failed, as my adopted sister and I managed to liberate the young woman and defeat his forces. Yet although the threat against us no longer exists, the one we saved bears no gratitude for me; in fact, she treats me with utmost disdain. Perhaps the only reason she has stayed in my home for this long is due to its security – had it offered her nothing, she would have left after the first day, so negative is her attitude regarding me.**_

_**I comprehend her hatred well enough; as far as that man was concerned, her sole role in life was to sacrifice her body to my potential lusts. She was brainwashed into believing that such degradation is all that our relationship could lead to, and as such has refused to befriend me or lend me her trust. No matter what actions I take she remains wary, searching for motives I do not harbor. This disappoints me, since her similarities to me intrigue me: her mind matches my own, and her heart holds the same concerns as mine does. In my eyes, despite how difficult she can be, she is an alluring creature. **_

_**Yet she is also pregnant, and while this does not change my interest in her, it does arouse more complications. She intends to have her child – the father of whom I know nothing about – far from me, and to accomplish this she may soon leave my home forever. I may never see her again, and that thought…**_**distresses**_** me. I would like her to stay, but I know I cannot imprison her here. I cannot steal her right to live as she chooses, or dictate how she may care for her child. Still…I do not want her to leave. As I have only had a few civil discussions with her, and have never consciously wanted anything more from her, this desire confuses me. Yes, to be allowed to touch her in a platonic way would be nice, and yes, for her to smile at me kindly would be pleasant. Yet these are impossible gifts – she flees from me, though I would do her no harm.**_

_**So what should I do, Chi? Should I let her go, or somehow convince her to stay? And say she decides to remain, what then, when the infant is born? I cannot find the answers to these queries alone; I do not even know what to think or feel in this situation. So tell me Chi, what should I do…?**_

_**M.**_

…How pathetic this seemed to the clone, resorting to asking a human stranger for advice, and how very unlike someone with his staggering pride. However, the message was sent with a click of the mouse, and now could not be taken back. With nothing else to occupy himself with, he defeated several chess players and various puzzles over the internet as he awaited the chipper 'ping' which would herald the arrival of a new message in his inbox. Thankfully, when it arrived it was not junk mail or a message from one of the alarmingly affectionate teenagers who had somehow stumbled upon his faux blog (he had to have something to show Chi). Had it been among those irritating notes, his frustration would have launched him into a fit of hacking with would have virtually decimated any internet persona or website which dared to taunt him in his already despairing state. Considering he had done such for mere _amusement_ in the past, he was certain a wayward message now would be an efficient enough catalyst for him to commit electronic assassination. However, the letter which unfolded upon the screen was from whom he'd sought conference, and so, with the captivation of a priest reading verses of a holy book, his eyes swept through the passages of her response.

_**Topic: Re: Confusion**_

_**Hello, M. You are right, it has been awhile, but you never cease to bring up interesting topics when you do get around to sending a message. I had thought that your social life must be torturously dull to make you have to resort to searching online for intelligent conversation, but I see now I was mistaken. At any rate, I will attempt to respond to your message, and in doing so provide what help I can.**_

_**First, you seem to care for this woman, but do you know how deep those feelings extend? I strongly suspect you are lying to yourself (if only for your own comfort) about what you really hope to share with her. I will remind you of a conversation we had once before – about the nature of love-. **_

_Miyuutsuu blanched; he had hoped this subject would not be brought up. Regardless of his disdain, however, he read on._

_**-You believe it is merely exaggerated affection, spurred from the biochemical reactions to feelings of lust, empathy, and sympathy. Perhaps you are even correct in that respect; that would certainly explain the intoxicating effect of infatuation. Yet even if physiological studies can reveal the source of our emotions, does that make an attachment with someone any less special or memorable? Since we have argued over this before, I will not continue along this particular thread. Still, ask yourself if you may have found yourself capable of loving another unwittingly, and be open to the possibility that if you do, you do not need to comprehend it, for some things in life are better left unexplained.**_

_**As for the woman's attitude, I am certain you have tried everything within your power to change her mind about you. This is the wrong course of action – instead, refrain from forcing your virtues upon her, because by doing so you are only earning more of her suspicion. It's the natural adolescent response: you push her and she will push back in return. I would suggest a gentler approach: simply be there for her, and let her find your goodness on her own. Since I know you're a decent guy, I daresay her negative opinion of you will falter before too long. **_

_**Concerning her pregnancy, it should make matters clearer for you, not make them more obscure. If you still yearn for her when sex is out of the picture (as biology dictates that, since someone else is already rooted inside her, she can no longer be claimed), it may mean your attraction is not purely physical in nature, nor is it a mere crush that will fade in time. And as for the baby itself, understand that it will always come first in her mind, so you must not vie for the primary place in her heart. Once you have accepted this (gracefully, I hope), you may be accepted in turn for your willingness to help her even if you cannot have her. Who knows, you may even begin to care for her child too in the process. Perhaps you might become its adopted father, and hence finally become a part of a true family.**_

_**Yet when it comes to the simple matter of her departure, do not sit back and watch her go without a word, M! Plead to her if you have to resort to such base tactics. When it's a choice between your pride and someone you care for, you have no justifiable reason to pick your pride. I am not saying chain her up or something equally brash, but let her know you don't want her to go. It probably wouldn't hurt to appeal to her maternal instincts while you do so, either. Right now she has a warm shelter, clean food and water, access to medical supplies, and perhaps most importantly, someone who is willing to care for her through this vulnerable period. She has with you what she needs most for the remainder of her pregnancy and in childbirth, and if she departs she will lose that. What will she do then? Where will she go? Who precisely will she turn to for help if something goes wrong? She cannot be so reckless as to endanger her life and that of her child! Surely she must take those matters into consideration. You did say she was intelligent, correct?**_

_**In the end, however, you need to search yourself, M. What do you truly feel for her? What do you want her to be to you a day from now, a month from now, a year from now? Would you like her to be your friend, your sister, or your beloved? Which of those would you prefer to be to her? If you discover the answers to those questions, the rest may fall into place. I am not saying that task will be easy, of course…but that is the most I can give you for advice, M. **_

_**Until next time,**_

_**Chi**_

* * *

Like leaves drifting down a stream, days passed by, each bearing few memorable features and thus were easily forgotten. Yet during that time Kamaria was not idle; she continued her research, reclaimed what personal items she possessed, slipped on her bracelet and a cloak she'd nicked from Miyuutsuu, and finally packed a sack with edibles and a bottle of spring water. Since she had no precise destination in mind, maps and a compass proved unnecessary; she knew there was nothing more she must obtain or consult before leaving Mt. Quena. At any time she could depart…and yet an unidentifiable uncertainty needled at her, holding her back from exiting the caverns. She had wandered through the island complex aimlessly for over an hour, as if waiting for an event to pass that would make her resolve take root. She wondered why that was - why should she hesitate when she was prepared to move forward? After all, there was no reason for her to linger if only to say goodbye; although she doubted she would ever reside within Miyuutsuu's or AI's presence again, final farewells were meant to hold sadness in them, and be exchanged between relations who were reluctant to part. Given the nature of her relationship with the other two, saying so long to them seemed more of a blatant rejection than a polite acknowledgement of an impending separation. Besides, would she miss them as she missed Ali, the teacher whom she had never had the opportunity to say goodbye to…?

The internal fight of her psyche, the one which warred for comprehension of the last month, was beginning to die within her. One side, the one she tried desperately to bury, had begged that she forsake the foundations of her beliefs and remain in this paradise she had begun to view as "home." In opposition was the sterner, more powerful side – the one which belonged to her stubbornness and her barricaded heart. Could that latter side afford to lose…? Could she afford to succumb to an uncertainty which rivaled that which had overwhelmed her on the day of her awakening to the world? In that hour, her senses had been assailed, so terrible in the force of their assault that she had almost been driven mad, and panic and confusion had followed on its heels, smothering her and driving her into deep shock. To have reached a moment in her life when she might experience similar disquiet proved profoundly unsettling to her…and hence, like many confronted with something disagreeable, she coped by forcing it from her thoughts. She could not face her doubts, or the disturbing warmth that had begun to stir in her chest whenever Miyuutsuu gazed fondly upon her. To begin caring for him was a betrayal of her resolve…and yet even as that notion made her shudder, a memory filled her mind, haunting and almost sweet….

_The flushed sun set behind the mountains, darkening their eastern faces and casting a shimmering peach glow upon their summits. Above the stained stone crests, cirrus clouds shifted from rose to plum, the firmament around them layered in bands cream, tangerine, and navy. Within the cool grass beneath an oak tree of the island, Kamaria sat with her tail curled to her side, inches from Miyuutsuu's feet. He stood peering at the sky, his own tail sweeping once against the green, feathery blades. Twenty feet away was the lakeshore, with waves like black, liquid opal churning in the sand, and over the sound of the swirling water, his voice rose, asking one of the personal questions which dug beneath her pelt like itching lice, irritating and difficult to rid herself of: _(Were you ever lonely back then, even with Kummad at your side?) _he inquired._

_Her tail slapped the ground, and after a moment she answered him reluctantly. _(…All creatures feel loneliness sometime in their lives, and some feel it more acutely than others…but yes, Miyuutsuu, I have felt the ache of that dismal emotion.)

_He peered down at her – she would not meet his gaze. _(What of now, Kamaria?) _he asked. (_Do you still long for a companion?)

_Only then did she realize that, in fact, she no longer felt the hollowness that accompanied being alone. True, chaos had stolen its place in her heart, but there was no hint of the longing she had once possessed in such abundance. Perhaps loneliness had abandoned her once she had learned of her pregnancy, or perhaps it had departed when she had become acquainted with another of her kind; either way, she did not long for another this day. Of course, she could not admit to him that she had found such solace in his home, and so as the western horizon faded to black, she said, (_Much of the time I find company an undesirable prospect, and yearn to be left alone - so perhaps you might say that I feel the opposite of loneliness instead.)

_Although she had spoken the statement lightly, Miyuutsuu understood that she was dismissing him from her side. He nodded once as if to say, (_I see. Good night then,)_ and as he left, she felt a strange prickling of remorse for what her words had caused. She had not thought he would leave on such a note; he usually preferred to debate with her, and that need, she had thought, was typically persuasion enough to make him defy her and remain nearby. Yet instead he had gone, and disappointment stirred in her at that, because if nothing else she found the male thought-provoking. Then, following on the heels of that regret was the twinge of her conscience, which suggested to her that, once again, she was perhaps being unfair to the male. She attempted to ignore its prodding; she was determined not to trust him, for if she dared allow herself to become close with her predecessor, she would be obeying Sakaki's wishes…and that man's wishes had always had a way potentially destroying her and her child. It was not safe, Miyuutsuu could not be safe…right?_

Yet in the hush of the present, Kamaria wondered upon the decision she had so long honored: was it justifiable? Was it just to hold someone accountable for what might have occurred, for the potential nightmare she might have been made to live had he proven a deplorable being? Was it just to reject someone who might never have done the unthinkable, who might never have violated her or handed over her sole light in a dark life? Was it just to hate someone because of his capacity to ruin everything she held dear…? Logic told her everyone was capable of acts of supreme good and evil, of acts of violence and love, and that everyone held within themselves the makings of a monster or a saint. Reasoning told her that those truths, rather than the ingrained beliefs of her soul, were what truly mattered. Thus the kinder part of her heart, once nurtured and then betrayed, now began to gain ground against her prejudice and suspicion – it fought more forcefully against her doubts, its war cry a shrill call for her to see reason. Yet it did not go into battle for the sake of the infant; whether the young one had a father figure in its life mattered little in the end. Instead it fought for the betterment of herself, and for the redemption of Miyuutsuu in her eyes. If she sacrificed her false judgments of the clone, might she not also sacrifice the part of herself born from Sakaki cruelty, an evil seed which poisoned what had once been a pure soul…? Would forfeiting her ruthless beliefs not turn Miyuutsuu's own possible manipulations into acts of goodwill, and as such transform him from a demon into an angel…?

_(Kamaria…?)_

She had lingered too long. He stood beyond the exit of the caverns; she would have pass by him if she wished to depart.

Vaguely, as horror twisted the lining of her stomach, she realized that his voice was in fact quite gorgeous, a rich baritone which could cause lesser females to swoon if he deemed to flatter them. However, Kamaria could not so easily be seduced by its pure brass sound, and it would take more than his rare smile to sway her into surrendering to him. Beyond a transient state of interest, she could not be won by someone's charms…yet still, his soft voice made her pause. He sounded sad this day - not furious and stern, or aggravatingly amused - but merely sad. Such sorrow made her ache, and in defense against the hurt she suppressed the feeling; it merely hindered her from moving forward. Forcing her expression to smooth and go blank, she discovered that his eyes conveyed his thoughts as well, and that their depths were not as simple to ignore as his tone. His gaze held the understanding that if she departed in this hour, he would never hold her in his sights again…and they also held other emotions, emotions which made her still with shock. No one had ever looked at her like that before….

She shivered, tearing her gaze from his, and asked in a quaking voice, _(A-are you going to try to force me to stay?)_

He shook his head, (_No…you have every right to wander wherever you wish. I will not deny you that bliss.)_

Her head jerked upwards in surprise. _(…So if I ask it of you, you will step out of my way? You'll let me go?) _she whispered.

Her predecessor paused…and then, rather than step aside and allow her passage, he stepped forward, drawing closer to her. Her frame seized as it repressed the instinctual impulse to retreat and maintain a cushion of space between them, and Miyuutsuu appreciated the gesture as much as he mourned its cause. Hurt and unmerited guilt filled him at the motion, which he did not have the willpower to conceal as he rested his paws upon her shoulders. He felt her stiffen beneath his fingers…yet she did not slip away from him, and an inkling of hope suffused him at that. Her willingness to accept his touch was, at the very least, encouraging. After several moments of tense and uncertain silence, he at last gathered up the courage to utter the plea he needed to say, challenging as it was for him to voice to her: _(Kamaria…p-please, do not leave. Please stay….)_

…_Please stay here with me, _completed the thought in his mind_._ His eyes fixated on her muzzle, for the potency of his self-consciousness made it impossible for him to look her in the eye. However, he knew his sincerity was evident to her, and that his difficulty in murmuring the request was disclosed by the unusual waver of his voice. He was now vulnerable before her, entirely at her mercy, and this filled him with a painful sort of discomfort which made him want to bolt from her presence immediately. Yet he could not back down now, if merely for the sake of his heart, which could not long endure the concept of opportunities lost because he was too fearful to take the risk of reaching out for them. He could not divine precisely what those opportunities entailed, for he was not ready to face that revelation…yet he could attempt to open the door to those chances nonetheless by begging her not to depart. If he had to grovel to her like a pitiful wretch to succeed in his efforts, so be it. There were some things in life worth far more than his dignity.

Beneath his paws, he felt her quivering. (_Why…why should I stay?_) she asked, sounding as small and fragile as the life growing within her.

And he could conceive of so many answers he could give her in reply, and sifting through them, he settled on the most reasonable ones. (_I…rather, for the benefit of your son or daughter, you should not depart at this time. Presently you have everything you need to see you through the remainder of your pregnancy and through childbirth - in the outside world, this may not be possible. You might be far from a health facility or in battle when the contractions begin, or worse, you might even be captured by a particularly advanced trainer. I am not suggesting that you are weak, Kamaria, for from it…however, you cannot deny the dangerous possibilities without becoming a hypocrite in other matters concerning chance.)_

Knowing instantly that he was referring to her harsh treatment towards him, she glanced away, stung. Yet his words were sensible, reinforcing the strength of her freshly empowered reason. Could she…_dare she_…do as he recommended…? A defiant piece of her still attempted to battle his logic: (_Miyuutsuu, females give birth alone all of the time out in the true world, and afterwards they are perfectly fine. I will be alright.)_

Sorrow once again filled his gaze. Was he losing this battle? Would she indeed leave when this discussion closed, rendering his attempts at persuasion futile? _(Would you remain here for my reassurance though? I…I do not expect anything from you, of course, but could you at least remain in the safety of my home until the infant is born? Afterwards I will not even attempt to hinder you from departing - I will even assist you in preparing for the task.)_

Sensing the bait, Kamaria smirked and drawled: (_Oh really? Would you help me by providing me all of my desired items, even if one was a form of birth control?)_

He blanched, understanding that she said such a thing in jest, and that he had set himself up for the fall. However, he would do anything to prove to her that he would keep his word, and so responded in the only way he could: (_Yes, I would secure even that for you if you so wished.)_

The grin across the female's muzzle faded as Kamaria understood that Miyuutsuu meant everything he had said. (_But why?) _she whispered, not comprehending his offer, _(Why would you do that?)_

What was the truth…? The male knew only a small part of it, and conveyed that to her in a soft voice. _(I wish to take care of you and the child. I want you both to be happy and healthy, even if you two are far from me. Is that so wrong of me, Kamaria…?)_

He spoke not a rhetorical question but an honest inquiry: was it wrong, perhaps mistaken of him, to care for them…? So close was their proximity to one another that the female feline trembled, for she could easily and accurately use her empathic abilities to peer into the darkest corners of his soul. In this nearness deception and ulterior motives could be divined as simply as she breathed; there could be no hiding his intents from her now. And so as his aura encompassed her, she read its bright waves carefully, first finding warmth and longing devoid of lust. She then found nervousness at his inevitable vulnerability in this moment, a shred of hope born from her willingness to consider his viewpoint, and last of all, his potentially devastating despair if she chose to depart. This final emotion shook her, for she had not realized she was capable of stirring such anguish in any individual…and so, in uncertainty, she met his eyes, discovering no dishonesty within them. He cared for her, truly cared, despite all she had and might still force him to endure…and that realization caused the part of her, forged from the pain of her past, to crack, splinter, and shatter like an old, dry bone crushed beneath a hammer's strike. Her throat constricted painfully and her vision blurred with unexpected tears…and then she tumbled forward, catching herself on him, and for the first time, embraced him. Having never touched him willingly before, having abhorred physical contact from him previously, she now shocked them both as she encircled him in her arms. The fragments of her malevolent determination ground into dust and were blown away by the indecipherable emotions whirling through her, and after his initial surprise, Miyuutsuu held her in return. Her muzzle pressed into his primary neck while his own came to rest between her ears, and he noted vaguely that she smelled faintly of the wildflowers of the fields….

_(No, Miyuutsuu,) _she whispered, (_It's…it's not wrong of you to care.)_

The moment, warmed with her embrace and whispered words, conspired to make his hope flourish…but dare he allow that fragile emotion to weave into his soul, when he still did not know if she surrendered…? _(Does that mean you will stay?)_

Could he bear to lose her after the universe had shifted and inspired this wonder…?

And her answer rose in his thoughts, quiet yet earnest: (_Yes. For now, we will stay.)_

That was the most she could give him, and for Miyuutsuu, those few words were enough. In the small eternity after they were uttered, the replicas stood together, closer than ever before, and with mutual consent, took a step forward: a step which had once been deemed impossible. And by taking that step, they found something meaningful, something real, touching, and almost unbearably bittersweet. They understood that the moment when they finally let go was not the one which mattered; instead, what truly mattered was simply that they had held on, allowing those few words to infuse them with hope…:

'_Yes. For now, we will stay.'_

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:** Well, that's all for now, dear readers. Not that I deserve it, given my absence, but reviews would be appreciated if you can spare the additional time for them. It would be nice to know if this story still has one or two readers awaiting updates, but if not, I understand. I just may have left this alone too long (sighs). Anyhow, to those who did read, thank you, and I hope you have a good day!

Sincerely,

Abby


	7. The Shift

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Pokémon, and I seriously doubt I ever will.**

**Author's Note:** Good afternoon, everyone, and sorry for the short delay. Thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter; I greatly appreciate it! Concerning this chapter, it ties up a loose end from the beginning of this story, and is also among the more heart-warming chapters of Faint, as it establishes a much closer bond between Kamaria and Miyuutsuu. Honestly, besides the ending, I find this entire update to be rather fluffy, and as such I do hope those of you reading this will enjoy the cuteness while it lasts. Oh, and I nodded to Kayasuri-n in this – a cookie for anyone who finds the allusion! At any rate, read on, and I'll see you at the end!

* * *

_**Phase 7.) The Shift:**_

Months passed and the seasons turned in Purity Canyon, and as they turned, the felines began to live in a tranquil atmosphere nearly indistinguishable from peace. Together they watched as the leaves of the trees flared from pure emerald into the hues of flame and timber, and noted how the mountain air acquired a far chillier bite, which smelled of approaching snow. More and more often thick swells of clouds shunted the sun from the sky, releasing their final howls of thunder, lighting, and furious downpours of rain and hail before their rage subsided into quieter, more pacifistic weather. Although the occasion blizzard did freeze the basin, light snowfall typically settled over the now hibernating paradise in a white, cottony blanket which delighted Kamaria. To Miyuutsuu's mutual amusement and dismay, he found her dancing and playing in the frozen drifts, and creating parodies of angels upon the plains of white. After every hour of this frolicking, he joined her in the cold, and every time his attempts to give her a warm blanket resulted in him being submerged in the wonders of the winter world: a world of telekinetic snowball fights, enormous igloos guarded by hoards of snow-people, and elaborate ice carvings. Once he had managed to succumb to the sheer childish fun of it all, Miyuutsuu was vaguely reminded of a time when he himself had been very small, and as such found the renewal of youthful joy a pleasant experience for him.

However, even during these times when Miyuutsuu could lose himself in his companion's presence, a heavy truth remained leaden in his heart: his companion would not linger in this place through to the next summer; he had brought a reprieve, some more time, and nothing more lasting. As such he savored fully the moments he spent with her, and sometimes used her pregnancy as an excuse for his hovering; after all, he was the closest she had to a doctor, and furthermore, he was more than willing to obtain foodstuffs that would satisfy her cravings. He told her that these were the reasons why he remained near her, and sometimes he inwardly winced at how he exploited the situation, even though it soothed him in how it served alternative purposes and desires without arousing her suspicion….

Regardless of his struggles, life went on, and by midwinter Kamaria's abdomen had swelled significantly. He heard from AI that the female could now not only sense her child but feel it stirring within her, the sensation akin to feathers brushing against the walls of her womb. With every week the mother-to-be drew closer to the event of childbirth, and rather than grow anxious at the thought, she began to relax instead. With the memory of Miyuutsuu's embrace clear in her mind, she allowed his closeness and even began to open up to him. Her mere tolerance for his presence became preference, and with that change in perspective she found that she increasingly did not mind his chaste touches. In the depths of her heart, she even began to warm when he was near her, and many nights she found herself attempting to subdue the urge to sleep so she might continue to talk with him and AI. Then, perhaps more astonishing, was that once she realized that these alterations had been made, she was not bothered by them. True, it was unlikely she would ever fully trust the created ones, but experience in dealing with humans had taught her something curious concerning that matter: interest, friendship, and even love were all easier to exchange than trust, so long as the individual in question was willing to bond with another. And now, with her cynicism and stubbornness fading, Kamaria proved more inclined to turn to Miyuutsuu for aid than to struggle alone…or to celebrate alone, as the case might be.

When the event occurred, the night had just slid into the dead hour of three in the morning. Miyuutsuu awoke to the sound of Kamaria's brisk footsteps padding into his den, and struggling to regain consciousness, he could nonetheless hear the excitement in her voice as her hurriedly whispered to him. Her paws grasped him and shook him gently, yet urgently, from his dreams as she spoke. Once he finally managed to pry open his eyelids and blink up at her groggily, he prompted her to reveal the cause of her frantic glee by grumbling out, (_Kamaria, what has happened…? Why are you-?)_

Taking one of his paws, she pressed it flat against her round middle. (_The baby's kicking!)_ she cried, with a wide grin plastered across her face. (_Here, feel right there-!)_

He nearly jerked away in surprise as he felt the movement beneath his palm, but then his curiosity overruled his shock. He placed his other paw over her womb and felt it again: the infant thrust a limb outwards against Kamaria's flesh, its tiny limbs exploring the soft barrier surrounding it. As he felt the jabbing motions twice more, a small smile of wonder curled over his muzzle – Kamaria, her paws over his, was already beaming. Her desire to share this with him had been compulsive; she had not wished to keep her happiness to herself, but had wanted to experience it with another, and as AI could not touch her to feel this as he could, she had gone to Miyuutsuu…and from his response, she was now quite glad she had done so. After a minute more of silent awe, the male lifted his muzzle, gazing up at her from his seat on the edge of the blanket-covered stone shelf which acted as his bed. The expression on his face, soft and somewhat unsure, made a pang spear her heart and made it somewhat hard to take a breath – but why she reacted in this way was a matter she could not then confront, for her courage faltered there. Yet then, taking her mind from that uncertainty, he murmured, (_May I…?)_

She blinked down at him, confused. (_May you what?)_

Although it was likely a trick of the murk, his face seemed to darken with a faint flush, his self-conscious overcoming him as he explained in one word: (_Listen.)_

Strange as the request seemed to her, she understood what he was asking, and so with a nod she stepped forward, allowing him to press an ear to her abdomen. Abruptly lost as to where to place her hands, she merely kept them over the paws on her belly, forcefully resisting the urge to cradle the face that rested against her core. That impulse seemed too alien to consider, and hence was ignored as an absurdity conceived in a fatigued mind….

After several minutes of this nearness, she asked in a hesitant voice, (_What do you hear…?)_

His gaze, as his eyelids lifted slightly, were glazed and distant. As a quiet moment passed, he said, (…_I hear the sound of liquid motion as the child moves within you…as well as a heartbeat, but it is dwarfed by your own….)_

She bit her lower lip nervously, and then, suddenly feeling rather shy, inquired, _(…And what do you sense from it?)_

Without consciously realizing it, Miyuutsuu stroked at her belly with his thumbs - the sensation was foreign from her coming from another, but it did not arouse her discomfort, and so she did not tell him to cease. Keeping her thoughts from wandering, however, his voice rose again in reply. (_I sense comfort…security…warmth…there are no markers of distress, only peace…and it…it seems to adore you already, and enjoy your voice. What I sense are obscure feelings for the most part; I am purposefully not attempting to probe too deeply, as I do not wish to learn the gender of your child, or the potential extent of its abilities.)_

She tilted her head at him quizzically, wondering at that. _(Why would you not wish to know?)_

Just barely, he smiled. (_I take it you want those details to be a surprise - that is all.)_

This, however, was not fully truthful of him…for in all honestly, he realized that he did not wish to grow attached to the unborn. That did not, mind you, mean that he hated the creature; even though it undoubtedly was a barrier between Kamaria and him, it would be unjust to despise a being whose only possible evil was that it existed. Such resentment was unfair to the pure creature, and cruel for holding against it something it could not control. However, while he felt no negative sentiment towards the little one, he did envy it: because the infant could make her happy in a way he never could. As he ruminated on that, he felt his smile begin to fade, and with a sigh he drew away from the female. His paws continued to hold hers gently, but suddenly he was reminded of how very tired he was…. As he took in her stance and expression, he mused that at least such weariness was mutual between them: she too seemed sleepy, though her expression held traces of glee whereas his could merely be said to be not unkind.

In a whisper, he uttered, (_Thank you for sharing this with me, Kamaria. I think, however, that you would do well to return to your nest now - you need your sleep.)_

Kamaria knew he was right, and as the incident had concluded and the child now rested, she had no reason to linger here. However, standing before the male, she hesitated, discovering that although the "why" eluded her, she had no desire to depart from the chamber. Perhaps the scent of the cave allured her, as it had been permeated with the natural fragrance of Miyuutsuu's fur, of mint and musk, which soothed and provided solace…or perhaps she possessed another motivation, one which she could not identify. She did not know, and with nervousness rising within her and tainting her voice, she asked, (_Miyuutsuu, may I…may I stay here, with you, for the remainder of the night?)_

Her request was not romantic in nature. She may have asked him for this favor because she did not want to be alone in her own quarters currently after what had just occurred. She may have merely felt too lethargic to drift through the tunnels back to her own part of the island complex (as she had once wanted to place herself as far from his sleeping chambers as possible). Yet most likely, she may have wished to stay with him until the morning because her heart had reminded her of a simple truth: that all children should have a father. In her dreams someone sometimes stood next to her, delighting in the infant she carried in her womb and filling her with a kind of happiness that in the waking world she longed for. True, she held no desire for a mate – but she did want to have someone beside her physically, sharing with her the same hopes she nurtured concerning her pregnancy, and confirming aloud that it was indeed a blessing. And for a little while this night, Miyuutsuu had provided her with that form of reassurance and bliss…so why not him…?

After she had uttered the question, Miyuutsuu had gazed up at her, momentarily surprised, before moving over in his nest to allow her to curl up in the blankets with him. Eventually, they found the position which provided them with the most comfort in the limited space: Miyuutsuu leaned back into the pillows with Kamaria resting against his front, her body sprawled on its side and her arms curled up to her face. Unconcerned with how the male wrapped his arms around her torso, she reveled in the coziness of his pelt while the rhythm of his heartbeat lulled her into sleep. For her companion, however, slumber proved impossible to acquire, regardless of how exhausted as he was. Insomnia, in that hour, seemed inevitable now that he embraced the female he had long yearned to hold, who was miraculously unfettered and calm as she dreamed. Astonishment leveled him at the extent of her newfound faith – she truly believed he would do nothing immoral to her while she was so vulnerable. If he had been a religious individual, he might have sent up a prayer of thanks for this wonder; yet because he lacked piety, he merely contented himself with embracing her protectively.

Eventually, his paws came to lie across her middle, and in her sleep, Kamaria smiled as the child shifted within her, oblivious to her companion's mounting grief. Never before had he desired in his short life to be a father, but now, with all that he was, he yearned for the child within Kamaria to be his flesh and blood, and ultimately his to claim. Yet he knew that was impossible: Kamaria was not his mate, and hence she could not be the mother of his son or daughter. And this understanding was one he mourned every day, every minute, every second, as each instant brought them closer to the moment when she would take her offspring and leave him behind to pursue her chosen fate - a fate which he could not force himself to share. As he shivered with a combination of the cold and his dread, he held her a little tighter, musing that his wistful yearnings were all in vain and senseless. He could do nothing more than he had already done; he could only savor her while she lingered here, and enjoy her sweet scent of wildflowers while it lasted….

Outside the winter wind moaned, as bitter as the thought of losing someone precious….

As dawn arrived in the following hours, Kamaria awoke alone with her form huddled beneath layers of blankets to keep the chilly air at bay. Although the windows cut from the stone walls had been boarded up and insulated, the room remained cool enough for her to see her breath before her as she exhaled. Wobbling, she rose to her feet, clutching a blanket around her and caressing her round stomach as she stood. With the hems of the covering brushing against the frozen floor, she wandered from Miyuutsuu's quarters and found her companion in the culinary chamber. With AI instructing him, he created one of humanity's easiest and most delightful breakfast meals: pancakes. In a bowl, diced fruit mixed with sugar fermented to create thick, tasty syrup, while what she suspected was warmed milk simmered on the makeshift stove. Pyrokinesis, she mused, was indeed a handy trick - pale blue flames flickered under the cooking utensils, their heat adjusting on a mere whim of thought, always carefully controlled and unfaltering. Miyuutsuu, glancing at her as she arrived, greeted her pleasantly and went back to debating recipes and cooking techniques with AI.

Quietly and warmly, she greeted him in return, and began to eat.

* * *

And so it went: winter melted into spring, and in that time Kamaria's body began to ache as the wait until her due date steadily shrank. Her uppermost breasts (the inferior four mammary glands having been removed from her anatomical design to provide her with a more "human" appearance) became swollen with milk, and her lower back muscles tensed with the increasing weight of the infant. Sometimes she wondered if this process would not be easier as a quadruped, but as the child was now active enough that not a half an hour passed without it stirring, her thoughts rarely dwelled long upon the discomfort of the final stages of pregnancy when the positive aspects proved so pronounced. Yet while her joy was contagious when in her immediate presence, her counterpart's heart continued to darken; her days with him were numbered now, and time had become his infallible foe. AI attempted to sooth his growing dread, but there was only so much she could do. At the very least, she understood why he was in pain, as she too seemed to "feel" something akin to sorrow when she mused over the notion of Kamaria's imminent departure. For the invisible entity, the female cat proved a good companion, and the brainchild of Miyuutsuu would miss her if or when she left. However, neither the male or the artificial intelligence would attempt to interfere with the female's will; to do so would mean caging her, and as Kamaria was a creature of moonlight, at her most beautiful when unbound, to contain her was tantamount to a sin.

Upon comprehending this, AI thought to distract her maker from his worries, and informed him of a project she had been keeping to herself during the past several months. Directing him to one of the laboratories her machines ran, she presented him with the sealed cube of bulletproof glass which Miyuutsuu had used to store synthetic chemicals when he had been creating her. However, rather than contain samples of acids and bases, it now held several scuttling devices which seemed to resemble metallic spiders. From his experience with miniature robots back when he had been a member of Team Rocket, he knew the machines to be probing droids. However, the make and model of this brand were not the same as those he had encountered before.

(_AI, what do you have here?)_

Her voice sounded almost smug as she declared, _"I call them arachnoids, onii-san. Now, tell me, do you recall the 'epidemic' that took the lives of several pokémon on the outskirts of Mt. Quena late last summer?"_

After a moment's contemplation, he nodded. (_Yes – that illness was one of the reasons I did not wish for Kamaria to depart so swiftly after her arrival. Do you mean to imply that these machines are related to that unfortunate incident?)_

If she could have, she might have nodded. _"Yes, or at least their fellows were the cause. These devices have been programmed to do a simple task: to seek and infect their desired targets with the toxic compound stored within them. In this case, their software details that their intended victims would be those of your kind, Miyuutsuu, if my analysis are correct. They have an expiration date of about a year, and I will admit that their design is rather innovative: it is based from a form of virus that-."_

_(You mean these machines were programmed to track Kamaria and me down and poison us? AI, why did you not inform me of these devices sooner?) _Miyuutsuu hardly ever raised his voice to his brainchild, but his alarm compelled him to do so as he asked this question. Why had she not told him about the potential danger these "arachnoids" represented, and warned his companion and him to be more careful in their wanderings within Purity Canyon…?

AI's response was even, perhaps blasé as she replied: "_First, the chemical within them has a very short half-life: it breaks down well before the actual device does, though I cannot decipher how long it remains lethal to those it infects, or if it even _is_ lethal – it may merely be debilitating. Second, each probe is interlinked with one another, and out of the thirty-six that were released originally, a majority were damaged or destroyed completely before reaching the base of Mt. Quena. When I found ones which had managed to escape destruction, I used my own droids to capture them for me, rendering them harmless now that they are under my control. I doubt there are any more than a twelfth left of the original count, and I am certain you could spot and crush the remainder yourself well before they would be able to sting you."_

Somewhat mollified, Miyuutsuu's voice arose again, low and vaguely quizzical, (_…So you have been working upon this project alone for nearly nine months?) _

"_I have...yet I thought that now that circumstances have settled down, you would find these machines…curious. As long as you avoid being pricked by their needles, you should be fine handling them."_

He blanched ever so slightly at that notion. (_I would rather prefer not to take any chances. Yet tell me, how exactly do they find their targets?)_

"_They have been programmed to recognize certain shapes and heat signatures with their infrared cameras. Ideally, they would make certain their targets are correct by taking a tiny sample of DNA to match it with the coding stored in their memory, but they do not always obey this principle due to glitches in their programs. Yet once they have a near match confirmed, they extend their main needle and inject the toxin. Try adding a drop of your blood to the chamber and watch what happens."_

Reluctantly, Mewtwo swiveled open one of the circular ventilation ducts, pricked his finger with a fang, and dripped a liquid bead of his crimson blood into the glass cube. Upon detecting biological material, the "arachnoids" ceased attempting to crawl up the slick sides of the transparent box and swarmed the fluid, within a millisecond unsheathing their needles and discharging a fluid resembling diluted tree sap. As AI magnified the blending on a nearby computer screen, he watched as the cells ruptured upon contact with the artificial venom. With their job completed, the tiny robots deactivated and curled up in a position akin to what old spiders took upon death. Shivering at the display, the clone silently cursed AI for not alerting him to this sooner, no matter if she felt the danger was minimal. With Kamaria in her present condition, they could take no chances…! Settling for a cool statement, Miyuutsuu muttered, (_So it seems that Sakaki likes his revenge cold – well, AI, do these devices pose much of a threat anymore?)_

"_Those that are yet operational will remain active for another three months. However, the likelihood that any of the survivors have managed to penetrate the mountains is slim to none; I would think curious pokemon and harsh climate conditions would either eliminate them entirely or keep them from the interior of the valley. To clarify, I caught these ones beyond the ridges, not within them. Yet in the unlikely chance that they _do_ enter Purity Canyon, I will inform you of their presence promptly."_

_(Good_,) he growled, turning away. (_For now you may study these "arachnoids" if you wish. They are harmless now, are they not?)_

And for a moment, AI seemed to hesitate, as is mimicking uncertainty. _"Indeed…but I had hoped you would study them with me, onii-san."_

And this statement shocked her creator, for never before had AI requested anything of him, or at least not in such a blatant obvious and straightforward manner. Inquiring for his permission to act in a certain way was one thing – but to express the desire to share an activity with him was something else entirely. In that moment, as the faint glimmer of hopefulness in her synthetic voice sunk in, his eyes softened from their previous harsh glare. This was not a child asking a parent or sibling to play with them; this was a request from a friend who wished to take his mind from what bothered him. In the previous year Miyuutsuu would have needed no prompting to settle down to discover how an unusual gizmo worked, but now…well, new knowledge was not as tempting to him. Still, taking his creations "feelings" into considering, he murmured, _(I would love to, AI, but can this wait a month…? You are aware that within the upcoming weeks Kamaria will leave us, and I…I do not wish to waste any of that time to pursue anything beyond her company.)_

He knew immediately that he had worded that statement wrong when she said, _"…It would be a waste of time, what I ask of you?"_

Her phrasing sounded similar to what a jealous or simply hurt individual might say when craving attention from his or her romantic interest. With a sigh, Miyuutsuu reassured her, (_No; that is not what I meant to insinuate. Yet you and I, AI, have years together in which to pursue our interests here, and the time I have with Kamaria is…well, far shorter.)_

And this was the correct response, for AI seemed almost amused when she spoke next. "_You have changed, onii-san...but I think it is a good thing. And you are correct, I suppose, so go to her – do not worry, I will not be offended."_

And as he left the chamber, she wasn't; she merely allowed herself to be lost in her musings on the differences between flesh and metal, and blood and volts. With her thinking processes so occupied, she did not notice the signal that the deactivated droids sent to alert their fellows to the coordinates where their target had last been detected – such was in their backup program, installed just in case their sensors were hoodwinked and their task left incomplete. When the superior artificial intelligence finally _did _notice the surge in her observation feeds, however, she misinterpreted it as a mere flux in the electricity, which was not uncommon in a power plant run on the unpredictable force of the elements. So even though she had been endowed with the best programming available, labored over and crafted by the clever Miyuutsuu himself, the computer entity was as capable as any of making mistakes, and the possibility of errors was even greater if AI was indeed developing a soul - for had not someone once said, "to err is human"…?

* * *

A few days later, Kamaria wandered along the shores of the island, her feet bathed in the cool, lapping waves and the weather being pleasantly bright and windy this spring day. She felt content as she drifted along, her happiness bubbling up inside her chest until she was nearly levitating over the pale sand. Absently she twiddled a white apple blossom between her fingers – it was sweetly fragrant, perhaps as sweet as the fruits of next autumn. Her child shifted then, as though it too found the aroma appealing, and her smile only widened at the motion. Unlike Miyuutsuu, she knew its gender, and today she was picking out names, at times literally plucking them from the air as she had the windborne blossom. Eventually she decided to teleport to one of her favorites spots in the basin: a grassy, cliff shelf which overlooked the forest and lake, and carried upon its stony back flat, sun-warmed stones to lie across and a willow sapling to offer minimal shade. As she reappeared there, she noted that the boughs of the tree, now budding, swayed lazily in the breeze, and young wildflowers peppered the vegetation beneath her paws. She stepped over to one of the stones, lying on her side upon it with her tail hanging over the edge, and gazed with half-lidded eyes at the view before her, at the sparkling water and the lively trees, which were golden with new growths or colored with bright blooms, and at the flock of swallows, whose members whirled in an graceful, aerial dance….

After an hour, Miyuutsuu found her there, and despite the discovery in the laboratory still haunting him, he found that the benevolent weather was not conducive of encouraging his worry. Keeping AI's reassurances about their safety in mind, he sat beside his companion and relaxed as a cloudburst swept over the glittering lake. They observed the rain is silence and amused themselves with spying rainbows amongst the vapors, and as the wind rushed from the mountains, it snatched new leaves from the willow and tossed them over the duo, one of which settled on Kamaria's muzzle like a yellow tear. He pointed this out and reached towards her, brushing it away with the back of his fingers, and that touch lingered before he realized what he was doing and began to take his paw from her face. However, Kamaria then captured that paw in hers, and as his eyes widened, she quelled the question forming in his thoughts with her next words.

(_Miyuutsuu, I'm…I'm sorry.)_

Blinking at her, he inquired as to why. Her orchid eyes glanced away, as if she were ashamed, and scanning the valley she answered, (_I…well, I treated you rather poorly for nearly three months due to biased information and my own paranoia, and although those I trusted in my past did betray me, the scars they left on my soul are little excuse in light of my education. One of Ali's first lessons concerned the importance of tolerance, and I displayed none when concerning you. All you treated me with was kindness, and, naturally, some occasional frustration, but in the end you never proved yourself a monster. I never gave you the benefit of the doubt….)_

Her eyes met his again, and their hues of violet mingled upon reflecting one another. (…_And I never thanked you either. You saved my child and me from Sakaki, you gave us our freedom, you have aided us immensely during these past several months…and as such, you have earned my gratitude for all you have done for us. I appreciate it all, Miyuutsuu, so…thank you for helping us.)_

Having not expected her to voice such sentiments, Miyuutsuu glanced away and found he could not muster up a better response than, _(…I am glad I could be of service to you both.)_

Her paw tightened around his…and then, startling him, her other paw lifted to touch his face. Her voice seemed tinged with sadness as she murmured, (_You understand that I do not view you as a tool, don't you?)_

The male turned back towards her, his free paw coming to grasp at the wrist of the hand which graced his cheek, and a low question rose from him into the sunlit air: (…_If not, than what do you view me as, Kamaria?)_

Begin placed on the spot like that was not something she had expected, and as such, prepared for. However, her sense of honesty compelled her to answer him, even if the truth might prove unsatisfying. (_I…don't really know.)_

But the actual answer was there if they chose to see it…. They were close enough now that Miyuutsuu could feel his companion's breath against his mouth, and in turn, Kamaria could see the splinters of halite in his amethyst-hued irises. Warmth penetrated where their pelts brushed, and the grips of their intertwined paws were firm…. What remained of the distance between them began to close, and although neither understood what they were doing, they did not mind or care to deny the subtle force guiding them. For a short while, they experienced a moment which only to them; their eyelids and ears lowered, and their muzzles nearly touching....

Yet then Kamaria seemed to return to her senses, and with a teasing smile, she drew away, instead pressing a gentle kiss to Miyuutsuu's muzzle. As he blinked at her in surprise, she whispered, (_You thought I was going to kiss you on the mouth, didn't you?)_

Mild amusement twinkled in his eyes at her tone. (..._Perhaps I had hoped for you to, just a little.)_

Her laughter arose, and she stood, walking towards the willow sapling and stretching her frame as she did so, her arms extended towards the blue sky, her spine curled back, her rounded abdomen exposed to the wind. What contentment she had harbored now bubbled with euphoria, and smiling she declared, (_As I said, Miyuutsuu, I do not know what I feel for you...and as such, I intend to keep our relationship chaste until I figure it out.)_

He nodded to show that he understood and respected her decision. (_If that is what you wish, then I will do nothing to violate it.) _

(_Good!)_ she said, and her smile only widened, confirming that this was the right response for him to make.

And in that sunlit afternoon, they both felt the promise of what might someday be between them, bright and tantalizing and lingering from the Moment they had almost shared. However, neither regretted that it had not come to pass, for both were certain they would experience more of its like in the future, and when they did, they would not allow _those_ chances to pass them by so easily. Yet for now they would remain mere companions, comfortable with what they had and open to the notion that, someday, they might have something more if they indeed wished for it...but they would walk down that road at their ease, taking their time and missing no wonders or joys along the way....

After a minute had gone by, Miyuutsuu lay out across the sun-warmed stone and vaguely noted that Kamaria had crouched down at the base of the sapling. She was peering at something curiously; had she found shell fragments from a robins' nest, the azure shards identical in hue to that of the firmament...? Lifting his head lazily, he asked her what intrigued her so, and cocking her head to the side she replied with a question: did AI have the capability of sending droids around the mountains? He closed his eyes to fully savor the warm caresses of Sol, and stated that the computer program did have that ability, and furthermore muttered that, as such, perhaps it had been for the best that Kamaria had declined from kissing him; otherwise his brainchild would torment them both upon their return to the island. This comment seemed to amuse the female clone, and she reached out her paw, evidently in an attempt to coax the little offspring of AI into her hand. Miyuutsuu opened one eye to watch the device scuttle forward - she lifted it and turned to him to show him her catch.

(_Look, Miyuutsuu, it came to me-.)_

Yet the male, upon taking a closer look at small machine, had bolted up upon the realization that what she carried was _not _one of AI's probes. With a hurried, slightly panicked snarl, he shouted, (_Kamaria, drop that right now!)_

His friend blinked in confusion, and asked, _(But why-?)_

Yet then, with a sharp gasp of pain, she flung the machine to the ground and smashed it with her tail, leaving nothing but wires, bits of crushed metal and powered glass in the grass. Lifting her paw to spy the region where the stinging sensation had burst from, she watched as a welt grew across her paw, while a thin ribbon of blood trickled from it to leak through her fingers. Cursing, she hissed, (_Miyuutsuu, when we return to the island, I am going to give AI a stern talking to about manner....)_

Her voice trailed off and her gaze grew glassy and unfocused; her body stiffened and began to quiver in involuntary trembles. As her brow furrowed and she began to sway, Miyuutsuu darted to her side and grasped her about the shoulders. She chuckled feebly, muttering, (_The hell...? Has she drugged...?)_

Lifting her into his arms, he growled, (_That device did not belong to AI, Kamaria.)_

She blinked and did not struggle against him, for her muscles were swiftly being leeched of their strength, and now, with an edge of alarm, she cried, (_But then who...?)_

(_What you just encountered was a machine AI dubbed an 'arachnoid,' a hunting tool created by Team Rocket to target members of a specific species, and, once finding them, infect them with a poisonous substance that may or may not be lethal. Call it Giovanni's parting gift to us.)_

Horror flooded Kamaria's aura and her trembling increased in vigor, and as Miyuutsuu charged his psychical energies to teleport them back to the island, she clutched at him and whimpered, (_He wanted to kill us? Even though I am carrying a child, he wanted to…?) _

_(I cannot be certain that was his intent, but the poison should have weakened considerably after all of these months. I will find a way to help you and the child, do not worry,)_ he rushed to reassure her, holding her closer as he did so. (_Relax,_ y_ou will be just fine, Kamaria…Kamaria?)_

He glanced down and watched as her eyes rolled back into her skull; she had slid into unconsciousness. Seeing that, no longer did his voice hold soothing tones - it gained an edge of the terror that he soon began to drown in. (_KAMARIA?) _he shouted, desperate for her to say something, anything to let him know she was still with him.

Yet her shallow breaths were all that answered his call….

* * *

**A.N.:** Hm, I wonder, have I ever ended a chapter of this story on a cliffy before…? Oh, god, I just realized where those two actually are and am frightened by the horrible pun. No matter, please leave a review if you could spare the time, as I greatly appreciate feedback. With any luck, I shall see you all again in this upcoming week. Bye for now!


	8. The Defeat

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, which is probably for the best, as I would completely corrupt the innocence of the anime if given the chance.**

**Author's Note:** Well, greetings again to those who read this story - sorry for the delay, but this chapter was giving me quite a bit of trouble (scowls). The final chapter shouldn't take nearly as long to revise and post, given it doesn't focus quite as much on a conversation, thank god.... Anyhow, first, everyone should be aware of the fact that I went back and altered the last scene of the previous chapter, expanding it and offering a different set of circumstances to how Kamaria was poisoned. In general, the changes were not profound: the kiss I had hinted at still did not occur, the poisoning still occurred on that cliff, but this second take, I felt, did not possess the Hollywood feel the previous one did. For the most part these alterations were made in response to a comment written by one of the readers concerning the set-up of that scene, and after it was explained to me, I agreed. While I am certain the reader in question probably wouldn't feel as if it truly required rewriting, I do listen and act upon constructive criticism to make my writing better. Personally, I like the newer version more…but a friend of mine did not, so I suppose you'll have to make of it what you will. Another note a reader made was that this story has not been properly conveying the difficulties of pregnancy – I will also try to correct that here as best as I can, even though the opportunity for doing so is rather slim, since the pregnancy ends as of this update. Finally, at one point in your reading you should put on the Darth Vader theme; we have a "Luke, I AM your father!" moment here. Honestly, I _hate_ using that cliché, but alas, it's among those common in Mewtwo fanfiction (sighs).

At any rate, this chapter is likely the darkest one in the story, for reasons I'm sure you all can guess. To clarify beforehand though, Giovanni/Sakaki will not be involved in these final chapters. That man has already been taken care of and written out, so you will not be seeing Mewtwo, the Avenging Angel of Death, in this chapter murdering people. Also, I am certain one or two of you won't find revelations made here to be…appealing, but given their relevance, I can't simply disregard them, even though they seem like an easy way out for me (which they are not, by the way - one of them rather disgusts me). Anyhow, two of the ideas described here regarding the genetic inheritance of Mewtwo and his female counterpart were featured in Shadows Like You by Cosmic Mewtwo and Opposites by Pleti Pie, so credit goes to them for that (although I have seen both ideas in other stories - The Mewtwo File by Alisonven, for example).

I daresay that'll be enough of my rambling. Here is chapter eight, "The Defeat"!

_**

* * *

**_

Phase 8.) The Defeat:

As Kamaria blacked out, Miyuutsuu teleported them into the medical chamber of the island complex, his heart sinking with dread and fear as he lay her down on the sanitized mat in the heart of the room. Shouting for AI, his voice wavered as he asked if she had managed to form an antidote to the toxin in the "arachnoids," desperately hoping that his creation had a ready-made cure which he could give to his stricken companion. Yet the computer program had nothing of the sort; she had not even fully analyzed the chemical makeup of the compound itself to derive what might combat it. With his thoughts tumbling, he darted to the medical cabinet, taking from its depths a bottle of the mineral spring's water, and returned to Kamaria, undoing the cap and tipping a generous amount into her mouth. After a fit of sputtering and coughing, she gulped the water down, and seemed to relax…but then her quivering began again, as if she had been exposed to an arctic wind while soaking wet. He had half known that would be the case; although the healing fluid had many restorative properties, boosting the immune system, the cells' capabilities to regenerate, as well as the drinker's energy levels, it was doubtful that it could combat manmade venom – especially if that venom had been modified to bear more potency than that found in a viper's fangs. At best the miraculous waters would hinder the toxin's assault, but it could not halt its progress in her veins completely….

(_AI,)_ he called, (_is this compound still strong enough to kill her?)_

"_I do not know, onii-san. I had no way to test the poison's potency without injecting it into another living being; hence, I cannot know how it will affect her or the child."_

His growing frustration was almost enough to make him thrash the nearest wall with his telekinesis. Instead, his tail lashed into and knocked over the stone chair behind him, bruising the limb in the process. After a sharp curse, he growled out, (_So we have no antidote to battle the poison itself, we do not know what this substance will do to either of them, and as such, we will be unable to treat the hurts it causes. So what can we do? I cannot stand by idly as they suffer from this assault!)_

"_Perhaps we need to go to the source, Miyuutsuu - the poison was developed somewhere by someone, and it is highly improbable there would be no remedy for it, considering the risk of accident exposure._"

(_And where and to whom do you suggest I go?) he snapped. (Sakaki no longer remembers-!)_

A soft moan interrupted his inquiry, and he turned to Kamaria as she began to regain consciousness. Having heard the last parts of the argument before she had managed to lift her heavy eyelids, her gaze rose to Miyuutsuu, and with dulled eyes, she whispered, (…_Ali….)_

At first Miyuutsuu believed she was hallucinating, and so murmured, (_No, Kamaria, I am not-.)_

Her head flopped to the side as she attempted to shake her head, and then found she couldn't complete the motion. (_No…Ali, he…he was involved in all of the projects concerning me. If anyone should know how to help us, and would be willing to do so, it's him.)_

Resolved to waste no more time with useless debate, the older clone merely asked, (_Where is he?)_

His ailing companion grimaced as a fresh assault of painful spasms struck her, and as she squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, she answered, (_Cinnabar…he has a lab there funded by Sakaki.)_

With her designer as the only shred of hope he possessed, Miyuutsuu grasped Kamaria's paw briefly, firmly, offering her what comfort he could before he released her and stood. She would remain here where no outside force could threaten her, for none could reach the island without alerting and triggering AI's defensive protocols – and his brainchild would not allow any but Miyuutsuu near the younger clone while she was so fragile. Lifting his muzzle and preparing himself for teleportation, he ordered, (_Watch over her, AI, and help her in any way you can while I am gone. I will return as soon as I possess what is necessary to cure her and the little one.)_

AI would have done so anyhow, and after she had confirmed such, Miyuutsuu gazed down at his companion and, just as the blinding glare of teleportation began to suffuse him, whispered, (_Remain among the living, Kamaria…if not for your child, then stay alive for my sake.)_

White light encompassed him, burst…and he was gone.

* * *

…Evening fell over the isle of the southeastern sea, seemingly hushing not only the tropical birds but also the volcano at the heart of the island. Aromas of sea-salt, brine, and sun-baked fish filled Miyuutsuu's nostrils as he inhaled his first breath of Cinnabar, and as he recklessly flew into town in a streak of azure light, he mused that it was not unlike the scent of the island of his birth, which, geographically, was only a few dozen miles north of here. However, that place and the laboratory it had housed were far in the past, while now, in the present, two new facilities rested in the northeastern sector of the island. Of the pair, the one farthest inland was devoted to the reanimation of fossils, while the other, its purpose ambiguous, crouched on the shore, having supposedly been shut down for nearly a year. Assuming that the one he searched for was the latter, he floated up to the windows of the uppermost floor, from which light flickered through lowered blinds, and sent a burst of telekinesis to shatter the glass from one of the window's frames. Levitating inside, he stepped past computer modules which hummed and whirled as they input information, and his eyes flicked over the piles of paperwork cluttering the abandoned desks. Above him the ceiling lights were switched off, and in the corners of the room the leaves of potted plants were ruffled from the breeze emitted from the vents and the AC units. While the building still, in fact, seemed to be functional, no one appeared to be within the structure at the moment. Beyond the running machines, the place seemed to have been vacated for days, possibly even weeks or months if the dates on the files around him were any indication. Continuing on, he passed sections of offices and cubicles, all cleared of personal items, save some textbooks here and there, any of which could have been owned by the company running the facility, and thus left behind when the place had closed down.

Yet he had seen lights on, confirming that while the building had closed, someone had chosen to remain here, presumably to continue analyzing the data the experiments within this place had wrought. However, whoever it was did not seem to want to be disturbed: iron gates locked away the passages to the alighted rooms, and as he approached them, he reached out with his telekinesis and tore them down. The metal screeched as it was twisted and flung aside, no doubt alerting the individual who had barricaded him-or-herself within the facility's depths…but as Miyuutsuu waited a minute or so, the continued quiet reassured him that the authorities had not been summoned. No sirens wailed outside, no heavy footsteps pounded his way - the disturbance, as he had half suspected, would not be investigated. After all, what had happened here was surely illicit, and bringing the enforcers of the law into this facility would have only been done as a last resort. Yet no matter…from ahead of him was a glow, and stepping forward he saw that the door to one of the employee lounges was ajar. Shuffling came from inside…a shadow passed beneath the door…a teakettle screeched! Dashing forward, Miyuutsuu flung the barrier open and leapt, grasping the room's sole occupant and lifting him into the air by his shirt collar. Wearing the white robes of one who practiced medicine, the human was a dark-skinned man, likely of northern Africa, his face and hands wrinkled, his hair graying, his chocolate eyes guarded behind bifocal glasses.

Fangs bared and glinting, Miyuutsuu gave the man a fierce glare which would usually render most grown adults into mere frightened, whimpering schoolchildren. (_Are you Ali Kummad?)_ the clone snarled.

Although his feet dangled a good foot from the ground, the man seemed remarkably unaffected by the situation, and merely said, "I am. Is there any way I could be of service to you, dear boy?"

Ignoring the slight towards his maturity level, Miyuutsuu growled, (_Yes. You can provide me with the remedy to save a mutual female acquaintance of ours.)_

Kummad blinked at him. "Kamaria, I trust - I thought she might be why you came here. Well, if you would be so kind as to set me down, then we may further discuss this matter."

With some confusion and definite reluctance, the feline lowered the older male to the floor, and watched as the geneticist strode over to the stove, carefully lifted the lid of the kettle, stirred into its waters some tea leaves, and after a few moments, poured himself a cup of the hot beverage. Glancing at Miyuutsuu with rather calm, even benevolent eyes, he asked, "Would you like some? I assure you, it's quite good."

Miyuutsuu's eyes narrowed and flashed with anger, and glowering at Kummad, he snarled, (_I do not have time to have a drink with you! I need the antidote for the arachnoid toxin, and swiftly at that!)_

Turning fully to the clone, the man took a sip of the steaming concoction and asked, "I assume you're referring to one of Sakaki's little pests. Just how long ago did it infect her, and for how long was the toxin stored before it was injected? It weakens considerably as it approaches its expiration date."

(_She was infected less than an hour ago, and the toxin had been decaying for roughly nine months,) _the other male replied, glad that the conversation was at last heading in the proper direction.

Yet Kummad disappointed him with his next words. "Then we still have a couple of hours before we need to begin worrying. So please, take a seat, Miyuutsuu."

Frustration and vexation made the younger male bristle, the hackles of his neck rising, and he appeared as if he wanted nothing more than to howl at the elderly man…but Kummad held up a sun-speckled, walnut-hued hand and said, "I was not asking. Either you take a seat and speak civilly with me, or I will ignore you to the best of my ability. Although I care for Kamaria very much, I will not tolerate impoliteness and malice in my company, and if you chose to continue to make me endure such, I will not make your mission here any easier. Furthermore, if you attempt to force from me the information you seek, I will merely struggle and waste far more of your time than what would have been expended if you'd simply behaved! Humor me, however, and this conversation will pass by much more quickly, ensuring that you may return to Kamaria in little more than an hour. It's your choice, Miyuutsuu."

Pride compelled the clone not to obey the man like a pet; however, he was not unreasonable. (_I will stand, human…but I will listen if you make this fast.)_

With a nod, Kummad settled for that compromise. "That will be acceptable."

And so long minutes passed in which the human drank his _ocha_ and Miyuutsuu stood tensely before him, his tail lashing in the air as evidence of his agitation. Precious moments were being lost, and the one who held such esteem in Kamaria's mind merely sat in his chair, allowing her to suffer while he delighted in the light flavor of hot tea. In that time, Miyuutsuu's thoughts were flooded with imagined scenes in which he assaulted and interrogated the other male, prying into the entity's wizened brain to discover what he required to aid his companion. However, the clone kept himself firmly restrained, having been successfully baited with the geneticist's promise that his obedience was key to accessing the answers he sought. Eventually, the old man seemed to realize that he was stretching the younger creature's patience to its limit, and so broke the silence. "What is Kamaria's current condition?"

Miyuutsuu, able to recall his last memory of his companion vividly, said, (_She possessed tremors, slid in and out of consciousness every few minutes, had acute muscle pain and fatigue, felt chilled to the touch-.)_

Realizing his error, Kummad interrupted. "I apologize; I must not have worded my question correctly. I meant to ask how she was before the infection, as I am well aware of how that particular toxin affects the body."

Where was he going with this…? (_Do you want a description of her physical health, or of her mental state?)_ he asked, his tone somewhat sour.

"Both, if you would be so kind," the man replied, watching with interest as the clone appeared to blanch, and then struggle to formulate his answers.

After a couple moments of contemplation, Miyuutsuu said, (_Kamaria's mind is sound, bearing ample quantities of intelligence, curiosity, willpower, a compulsion for independence, and warmth in character when she so chooses to express it. Additionally, these positive qualities are balanced by her unwavering convictions and her swift temper. She is a creature of fire, Kummad...but surely you already know this?) _When the older male did not answer, the clone continued on, (_As for the physical and psychical aspects of her being, she possesses acute control and grace over them, and before her infection experienced no difficulties with either of them. Beyond that….)_

"…Go on," the human prompted, like a priest reassuring children that he would not condemn them after their secret was disclosed.

(_She is pregnant.) _The short statement was answer enough.

"And is this a negative thing in your opinion?" the geneticist inquired, honestly curious at the creature's blunt response. "While I am certain the condition makes Kamaria uncomfortable, and in turn makes her difficult for you to be around at times, I would have thought the notion of new life would prove astounding to one such as yourself. Despite the aches and pains that accompanies the process, it always inspires awe in me."

(_Do not misinterpret my tone, Kummad. While Kamaria at times grows irritable from her discomfort, she does not often allow herself to dwell on the cons of her condition, at least not in my presence. True, I cannot know how she responds to it otherwise, but typically her hope overshadows the more unsavory aspects of her pregnancy. No, I am merely stating a simple fact, one which took time for me to acclimate myself towards. To me, her condition is ambivalent, for while the notion of having a child makes her happy, for me it proves something of a…complication.)_

Whether he comprehended the nature of the "complication" or not, Kummad nonetheless nodded and said, "I see. But you still admire and care for her, don't you, despite the creature stirring in her womb? Even though that creature could belong to…say…someone as heinous as Sakaki?"

The clone's eyes hardened and grew distant…lengthy seconds passed, and then he murmured, (_…A child, regardless of its genetic heritage, should not be judged by the acts of its parents. Similarly, I will not judge Kamaria or her child for the crimes the potential father has committed. I care for them both…or, at very least, for the mother-to-be who I have befriended.)_

The man seemed pleased with the answer, and perhaps even amused. "Quite sensible of you, Miyuutsuu…but I have another question. Did I succeed in what Sakaki's wished? Is Kamaria as desirable to you as she was intended to be?"

The clone's gaze refocused and his pupils narrowed into slits from his sudden fury. (_The matter you speak of so lightly is an abominable one. To prescribe me with the purpose of shedding blood was to be expected of my kind, but to create a being whose sole reason for living would be to pleasure another…? That is a far more despicable fate, Kummad, and even though she does prove alluring to me, I find I cannot tolerate the notion of what she was meant to become.)_

Chocolate eyes regarded him with a mixture of sorrow and weariness. "I agree that what was intended for her was immoral…but Kamaria was essentially the property of Sakaki, made with his money and registered as his servant, and as such, he felt he could do with her whatever he wished without consequence. I daresay he learned otherwise if the incident last year was any indication, but I have to ask: did he ultimately win as far as she was concerned? Has she submitted to you?"

In a low, slow voice which Miyuutsuu hoped would properly convey his honesty, he murmured, (_No, she has not…and I have no issues with her decision,) _

Kummad raised a dark eyebrow in some surprise. "Is that so? You have been tempted by her, but have never attempted to seduce her…?"

If the clone overlooked the incident after he had given Kamaria her bracelet, her creator's conclusion was entirely valid. Flexing his paws into fists from agitation, Miyuutsuu growled, (_I am not like Sakaki, who would take a female he desired with or without her consent. Kamaria's body is her gift to give to whomever she desires, and I would not deprive her of that right for a few moments of carnal pleasure. I am not that kind of monster.)_

Now the old African was smiling widely in an open show of his approval. "It gladdens me that you treat her with such respect rather than abuse – it makes you far more of a man than the individual who gave you your human characteristics! Sakaki would be _so_ disappointed, I'm sure, but it is always nice when the proverbial apple falls far from the tree which formed it."

It took a moment for the meaning of those words to penetrate Miyuutsuu's brain…and when they did, his brow furrowed in bewilderment and his muscles began to coil. Shivering as an unpleasant suspicion began to stir in his thoughts, like a newborn viper in its nest, he hissed, (_What are you meaning to imply, Kummad? If you are fond of your limbs, answer me swiftly!)_

Ali Kummad sighed - so they were back to threats, were they? He supposed that could not be helped, and so, folding his hands before him, he considered how to best approach a topic which would not please the temperamental clone in the slightest….

* * *

…_Hundreds of miles to the west, Kamaria was aware of herself and her surroundings, which was a significant improvement over the blackouts she had suffered through twenty minutes previously. While she was now able to comprehend the passage of time and her deterioration, she was for all intensive purposes a mere a kernel of consciousness trapped within a malfunctioning husk of living meat. Convulsions seized her at intervals, and her attempts to will control into her sore, icy muscles were met with failure. Vaguely, the chill of her flesh made her wonder if decreased blood-flow was the culprit behind her helplessness. How many times had she woken in the morning and nearly tumbled to the ground when she put pressure on her paws and legs, which had fallen numb in the night…? Too many times, she remembered, and as her fear and frustration mounted when she continued to try to still her frame without success, she took some small comfort in the fact that while her breathing and heartbeat had quickened, they both still functioned steadily. At the same time, a pain like dulled blades speared her internal organs, making her ache to expel the matter within her stomach and bowels, as if this would help her find relief from the sickness. Although she attempted to fight both, the revolting acts soon became involuntary, and gagging she attempted once again to move, if only to escape the unsanitary mess…and to her surprise, she managed to roll from the soiled mat, and crawled a few feet from it before her limbs once again gave out. Darkness clouded her vision, threatening to break her consciousness now that she'd drained what little strength she had managed to gain, but she resisted as best as she could manage, silently terrified at the notion of slipping under and never surfacing again. Goosebumps prickled beneath her fur, which was sullied with cold sweat and grime, and fatigue taunted her…but somehow she managed to cling to awareness. Perhaps AI's voice, which continuously filtered into her hearing as the ringing quieted, helped in that respect. Still, she longed for Miyuutsuu to reenter the cavern, for his warm, comforting presence and for the fulfillment of his promise of relief upon his return. He had sworn he would find a way to help her and the baby, to banish the ice from their shared veins…but could she continue to hold out until he came back with a cure…?_

_As more minutes passed she began to grow numb. In a way, this was a welcome change, but it also made her fear spike - after all, when people began to die, truly die, didn't the pain fade along with their lives? Her hope began to falter and panic take root…but as if to reassure her that this nightmare would not end quite yet, a fresh, new hurt plowed through her center, causing a sharp shriek to force its way out of her tight throat. As the anguish continued in waves, she felt a warm liquid seep from her…but it did not smell of urine. After a moment of shock, she realized what was happening: her body was seeking to expel anything and everything it could in a futile attempt to purge her system of the poison which ailed it - including her child. Perhaps she should have anticipated that; an infant, after all, is essentially an overgrown parasite until it is born, causing its host to endure bouts of nausea, hormonal imbalances, pressure on the bladder and restriction of blood flow as it grows, to name a few of the unpleasant symptoms included during its occupation of the mother's body. Kamaria, having been designed with this specific purpose in mind, had endured adjustments in her anatomy so she might successfully breed and complete multiple terms with the minimal amount of risk. Yet even she was not immune to all of the discomforts of pregnancy, and certainty would not find childbirth a pleasant ordeal. She took some small amount of solace in the fact that a premature birth would not endanger the infant now: it had already developed enough to survive outside of the womb. _

_However, her panic returned as she remembered that no one else was _physicallythere_ to help her through this final trial; she would have only her instincts to guide her through this. Yet she felt so weak, _too_ weak…if the poison did not kill her, surely this succeed in sending her into oblivion…but she could not halt the contractions, dared not now that her water had broken. Damning her luck – for when did the caul ever break without doctor intervention? - she asked AI if she had any information which could help her, and if so, if she would stay nearby and coach her through the birth._

_There was nothing more the artificial intelligence could do…._

* * *

…During this time, Kamaria's maker managed to find a suitable introduction to the subject Miyuutsuu was inquiring about. "Correct me if I'm mistaken, but you're aware that to properly stabilize your genome, human genes were incorporated into the Miyuu DNA used to create you."

His fangs still bared, the clone nodded. (_Yes, I am aware of that. However, I was told the donor was anonymous, and ultimately, inconsequential.)_

Kummad shook his head, and his lips twitched as if he were suppressing a grin. "Anonymous, perhaps…but 'inconsequential'? Miyuutsuu, your human heritage could not have mattered more! Do you truly believe that Sakaki would have left that donation up to chance? You were intended to be the strongest fighter the arena has ever known, and what would go into you was discussed almost passionately! Yet Sakaki could not have widespread testing amongst his ranks to find the candidates – not only would that have taken too long, but the project that created you was deemed strictly confidential, and involving the whole of his organization would have been the equivalent to asking for the secret to be leaked. Hence, as Sakaki always had a staggeringly high opinion of himself, he provided my colleagues with samples of his own DNA to fill the gaps in your genetic coding."

Beneath his ashen fur, Miyuutsuu paled, and then blanched as if his mouth had been sprayed with lemon extract. Chagrin and horror suffused him, arousing the nearly unquenchable urge to lash out at something, perhaps even the herald of this unwelcome truth…instead, he held his paws out before him, gazing upon them with the same anger and confusion as he had on the morning of his "birth." This new knowledge, like that which had assaulted him on his awakening day - that his creation marked the usurpation of God by his willful children, that his existence would be one of experimentation and decay if he remained in his makers' hands - tore his innards apart and left him to cauterize the shreds back together with the heat of his growing fury. Yet he knew if he were to demolish anything to sooth his dismay, he would tear apart his own body rather than this facility, for every cell he possessed was tainted by that man. He could never escape Sakaki now, and with bitter humor, he realized that from a hereditary standpoint, this essentially meant that he did have parents of a sort; after all, only through the genetic heritage of a Miyuu "mother" and the donations for a crime lord "father" had Dr. Fuji and his assistants succeeded in developing him.

Yet should he truly be so surprised…? Now that he analyzed the matter, he could easily find similarities between that monster and him. Both of them had harbored the fierce ambitions to gain power and ruthlessly dominate the world, and both of them possessed heightened levels of intellectualism and creativity. Both of them had experienced clouded judgment from their arrogance and pride, and both of them shared physical features: the hawk-like eyes, the heavy brows, the harsh angles of the face. And yet…as he watched the moon float up from the eastern horizon, he remembered what Kummad had said: despite the likenesses, they were not nearly the same, for the clone had something which Sakaki could only envy – he had a heart, and a good heart at that….

As his anger evaporated and he regained a sense of calm, acceptance being reached, he asked the geneticist, (_And what of Kamaria? Whose genes did you use to stabilize her genome?)_

After a moment of hesitance, Kummad replied, "We used biopsies from a child who aspired to be an ice skater before she died. Her name was Ai Fuji."

Ai…? He might have guessed as much…. (_Did you have a reason for disturbing the dead, or was this another of Sakaki's whims?)_

Kamaria's creator sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am certain you can understand why she proved the ideal candidate. Primarily, you befriended the girl's clone and mourned her death when her body degenerated. Even during the year when you associated yourself with the human women of Team Rocket, no female interested you as she had…and Ai's own inherit traits merely finalized our decision. Before her untimely death she was in perfect health, showed hints of natural telepathic abilities, and displayed a charming blend of innocence, wisdom, and charisma in personality. What more could we desire in a donor? After she was chosen, we received permission from her mother to seize any of her preserved biological samples and exhume her grave. By that point, the woman was more than a little weary of Team Rocket interfering with her daughter's death, and so agreed to provide us what we needed - but only if we covered the reburial expenses and never approached her or her late child again. Ai, as a result, will finally be left in peace."

And in addition to peace, Miyuutsuu mused, Ai would gain a legacy in Kamaria, who would be the closest the girl would ever have to a descendant. Personally, he did not think the child would have been displeased, regardless of the methods leading to the hybrid's birth. After all, hadn't she said something about wishing to act as Miyuutsuu's mother when he had been a kitten? If so, he could not imagine that her maternal side wouldn't have extended over Kamaria as well if Ai had come to know her; her motherly urges surely would have only heightened at the realization of their shared blood….

Yet then Miyuutsuu remembered his true purpose here, and cursing himself for being deterred from his goal, he murmured, (_Kummad, while all of this is interesting, my concern remains upon the living. As such, now that I have heard you out, may I have the tonic that will save Kamaria and her offspring?_)

Weariness weighed heavily upon him from what he had learned, and so he prayed that the geneticist would, at last, cooperate, as the clone had met his demands….

Ali Kummad's response, however, nearly resulted in his death. "I apologize, Miyuutsuu, but I do not have the tonic in my possession."

The feline's head snapped upwards and his psychical energies flared as his rage and dismay spiked. He only just managed to restrain himself from driving a Shadow Ball into the ribs of the frail man before him, instead hissing, (_You mean to say that you have WASTED all of this time distracting me while she suffers alone? I thought you cared for her, Kummad!)_

"I do, and I am not saying that I cannot help you, Miyuutsuu! I am merely informing you that I don't have a remedy here which can cancel out the toxin she was exposed to."

The clone flung up his arms in vexation. _(So what use are you? I came here to find a way to help her, and all you have done is-!)_

Kummad interrupted him in a firm, flat voice, "Why are you so desperate to save her?"

Is inquiry made the pokémon still, and glancing away, he growled, (_Why must you even question that? She is my friend, the only other member of my kind – how could I not wish to save her?)_

Kamaria's creator did not seem satisfied with this reply, and said in a bland tone, "Is that so…? Well, if that's the case, you can relax: Kamaria will be fine. The poison was created to incapacitate you for a short period of time to enable your capture, not murder you. However, the dosage was intended for grown adults – I can only guess at how an unborn child will react to contact with the substance."

On one hand, relief swept through Miyuutsuu as he heard that Kamaria would survive the assault of the poison; on the other hand, his panic only rose as he considered what might happen to her baby. Clenching his paws into fists, the younger male asked, (_Will it die…? Will her infant die without a tonic?)_

"What exactly will happen if I say it won't?" Kummad asked, setting his nearly empty mug on the table.

(…_I will return to her side to assist her as she recuperates from the toxin, and then help her deliver the infant when the time arrives. Afterwards, she will leave my home to pursue her own destiny in this world, with her child in her arms.)_

The other male considered that, and then inquired, "And if my answer is a 'yes'? What will happen then?"

Miyuutsuu did not want to think about it - the sheer agony of that possibility made his heart ache…. (_I do not know what she will do...but she will be heartbroken if the child perishes. She loves it dearly…._)

A full minute passed before Ali Kummad responded to that, and when he did, his voice was soft and quiet. "…Miyuutsuu, tell me this: do _you_ love _her_?"

The clone stared, his jaw falling slightly ajar in his surprise, for unlike AI, unlike Chi, this man did not tease him or simply suggest that he had feelings for Kamaria; no, he directly asked Miyuutsuu the extent of his affections for the female, and that was a question he was not prepared to answer….

Exasperation flicked over the geneticist's face. "It's a very simple question, Miyuutsuu: do you love Kamaria or not?"

(_I….)_

He had never seriously considered the possibility of loving her before, not in the romantic terms Kummad was implying. Yes, the subject had been brought up more than once in his presence, but he had always set it aside, being far more concerned with never overstepping his bounds with Kamaria, and with never pushing her for physicality or emotional intimacy. However, they had grown quite close over the past handful of months, and earlier this day he had shared a moment with her that, while it had not been fulfilled, could not be construed as a display of _platonic_ affection by any means. Yet while he understood that there might be something _more_ developing between them, he remained uncertain as to the extent of his feelings for her. Was his interest in her still growing, or had he, unbeknownst to him, crossed the line and truly begun to love her…? Was the warmth and yearning he felt for her more than merely what was shared between two opposite-gendered friends, or was it instead the emotion advocated and blessed by the divine…? As he stood before her maker, wordless, a memory from the coldest month floated in his mind's eye: of Kamaria sleeping tranquilly in his arms, ultimately precious to his heart even though she had once threatened to wound it beyond repair. Once her fury at the world had withered away, her company had become something he could not resist; with her time stretched, the atmosphere grew warm and gold, and he felt an emotion which otherwise largely eluded him. For with her, he was happy…and he hoped fiercely, even prayed, that she was happy as well, because even when the prospect of her departure saddened him, he felt contentment at the notion that at least _she_ would be happy - and that, more than his own sorrow, was what truly mattered to him.

As understanding blossomed in his soul, he nodded to himself, realizing his answer…but the man before him needn't know what lay in his heart, for that was Kamaria's concern, not her creator's. (…_She means much to me, but my exact feelings for her will be disclosed to her alone, as they concern her and no one else. Besides…she deserves to be the first to know.)_

Surprise registered on the human's face, before his eyes softened and he nodded. "I understand…and you're right, of course, that is a private matter between you two. I suppose I will have to simply trust that whatever feelings you harbor won't be swayed by distance or the passage of time…at least not initially. Now there is one final matter we must discuss before I send you on your way: would you like to know who the father of her child is?"

(…_Does this truly matter? If the child dies due to your hesitance to direct me to a cure, its parentage will be irrelevant._)

"Actually, of all the topics we've covered, this is the most important of all," Kummad remarked. "I take it from your response, though, that she hasn't told you herself?"

Miyuutsuu frowned, and then sighed, pressing his fingertips to his eyelids in exasperation. (_No, she has not, and I have not pried. However, if you insist of informing me, do hurry to the point – we have already wasted too much time here.)_

With a nod, Ali Kummad finished his tea, and grimaced at more than its cool temperature as he contemplated details which conveyed in full the perversion of one crime lord's mind….

* * *

…_A country away, the curse Sakaki had set upon the clones was being defied. Even as the poison sought to drain all of Kamaria's strength from her, she clung to existence and fought to ensure that life would continue beyond the threat of death. Her body went through the steps to allow for a successful delivery, her cervix shortening and dilating, her uterine muscles contracting, drawing the opening upwards while pushing the unborn into it. The replica tried to remember to breathe, even though she wanted nothing more than to grind her teeth at the discomfort and pain of the process. To distract herself from the growing ache, she focused her mind on the voice of AI, which offered her a steady stream of encouragement. Acclimate to the hurt…it was just another part of her…it would pass soon enough. It was merely a sensation, it could be ignored…. Oh thank god she wasn't human; otherwise she would have to endure countless hours of this…! Amazingly she managed to laugh softly at the whole situation - or perhaps that was hysteria catching hold of her. Then the child's head crowned, and she quieted...a few tears ran down her face, and she grimaced at the potent odors of sweat and blood. As she gasped the name of her absent friend, she mused that this wasn't fair: in a better world, one devoid of Sakaki's sadism, Miyuutsuu would be here helping her through this. This would have been a time of excitement, a time of joy…and, obviously, still a time of pain as well, but she would have been stronger, strong enough to endure this properly rather than feel that every push subtracted years from her life…. _

_Yet these final pushes would mark the end of this ordeal, and so she used what strength remained in her and _pushed. _Soon the infant slid free from her, followed swiftly by its placenta, and then, at last, the contractions faded. Lying back, the clone gasped in ragged breaths, but she felt…_better_. The relief was spawned from more than simply the childbirth being over: her muscles obeyed her now, if weakly, and the chill pervading her had vanished. Being in labor, she realized, must have cloaked the fact that the toxin was ebbing away in her system, its potency lost as her body succeeded in fighting and metabolizing it. And yet, something was still wrong: her pounding heartbeat and slowing breaths were the only sounds in the room. Why…why wasn't the infant mewling…? Although fatigue threatened to overwhelm her, she stirred and sat up, casting her gaze to the bundle of fur she had birthed - it did not move or make a sound. Dread and panic seizing her, she reached for the little one, drawing it into her arms, pressing its chest to her ear, listening for breath, for a simple heartbeat…and found neither._

_She could not process or accept it; she had felt her strong, healthy baby kicking within her just this morning, seemingly so impatient to be born! It could not be dead, could not remind dead, and desperately Kamaria went through the steps of resuscitation, weeping and praying for its tiny heart to beat and its lungs to shudder and fill with nourishing air. Even as AI told her to stop, that it was no use, she attempted the impossible, unable to endure the notion of losing the being she loved most in the world, who had been within her as her life had been transformed and enriched in this paradise. _

_(_Please…please, no…,) _she whispered, (_Please come back to me…come back…!)

_Her child must live, it must…! For how could she bear to lose it…?_

* * *

…Unaware of the tragedy unfolding, Kamaria's maker clucked his tongue and asked Miyuutsuu, "Do you recall when the Team Rocket veterinarians subjected you to a health check?"

Confusion made the clone's brows knit together, but recalling the incident, he nodded. (_I do…but how is that relevant to the topic at hand?)_

"If memory serves, after the initial physical you were required to forfeit hair, skin, blood, bone, cartilage, and even some organ tissue samples. Given that these biopsies would likely have unnerved you, triggering outbursts of your then untamed psychical powers, they thought it best to keep you sedated."

Remembering the destruction wrought whenever his emotions had overwhelmed him, Miyuutsuu nodded. _(Wise of them – but what are you meaning to suggest?)_

"I mean to say that those medics wanted to acquire as many different samples from you as possible, including some that you probably wouldn't have consented to provide while conscious. In particular, they wanted samples rich in genetic material - after all, while they regarded you as formidable, they realized you were not immortal, and so wished to be prepared if they lost you to sickness or in battle," Kummad explained. Then, after a heavy pause, the man continued, "…Now despite that many of them referred to you as an 'it', you are, in fact, a male. Your masculine build, your deep voice, your more aggressive behavior - even without telltale external genitalia, your gender was evident from the beginning. On that note, they wondered whether the cloning process had rendered you sterile, as fertility is typically the first trait lost when genetics are manipulated. In the end, however, they found you were capable of procreation when they managed to acquire your…well, your 'seed,' as we shall put it, as you are beginning to look extremely uncomfortable with the topic at hand."

Miyuutsuu had, in fact, donned an expression of acute discomfort, but not from having his reproductive abilities discussed in front of him so casually. No, he had understood quite swiftly in Kummad's speech where this was heading, and along with the uncertainty the possibility aroused in him, he was also attempting to cope with potent feelings of outrage and violation. Surely this was a joke…those sick bastards couldn't have…? (_If that is true, what methods did they employ to gain-?_)

The geneticist waved a hand at this inquiry. "Oh, don't worry, Miyuutsuu, you are still a virgin in all respects. No one manually stimulated you to orgasm - that would have been incredibly inappropriate, and given they were being supervised, not even the most perverse of those medics would have touched you, so you've never been an unwitting participant in any form of sex. However, through hypnosis you underwent something all healthy, adolescent males experience at some point in their lives: an erotic dream. What precisely you imagined, of course, I cannot begin to guess, but you made the donation and then had your dream promptly eaten by one of the veterinarians' Haunters, which erased the experience from your mind. However, I imagine you awoke feeling quite gratified afterwards."

In response to this, Miyuutsuu, in a rare exhibit of his mortification, flushed heavily. As his face burned, he gritted his teeth, and slowly managed to spit out, (…_Say that I believe you concerning this incident. What precisely happened to the 'donation,' as you so put it?)_

Kummad blinked at him. "I would think that would be obvious," he remarked, employing a tone one might use when explaining something to a slow child. "The sample was frozen until a later date, and then used to fertilize one of the few egg gametes compatible with it: one of Kamaria's ova. Hence, that would make you, biologically speaking, the father of her child."

Since the geneticist had begun his speech, the suspicion had been stirring in Miyuutsuu's brain…and now, as it was presented to him as a truth, the replica at last took up the man's offer and sat down in one of the vacant chairs. Pressing his knuckles into his forehead, he hunched over, suddenly feeling winded as he tried to absorb the idea: the child he had felt kicking within Kamaria was his…? The baby Kamaria had been so desperate to shield from him, the little one she so adored, belonged to him as well as her...? As his heart reeled at this knowledge, not knowing whether to soar or plummet, his detached mind mused that it made perfect sense. Of course the child could not have been sired by a random male; it had to be his if Sakaki truly wished to lure him back into servitude, because even if Miyuutsuu had been heartless enough to ignore the plight of a female of his race, surely he would never be so dishonorable as to abandon his own offspring? No, he would have returned to Sakaki's side willingly, if only to ensure its safety; he could not have turned away from his own flesh and blood….

And in that moment, through his dark comprehension and icy shock, his heart began to warm…for suddenly, no barrier existed between him and the one he cherished. His desire to embrace her and hold her child was justified, and he could even look upon the fact that Kamaria had hidden this from him with benign understanding. After all, she had not known what kind of person he was, and who was to say if he would have allowed her to leave with his son or daughter had he known…? For a handful of glowing, hope-suffused seconds, he felt no hint of anger or dismay…but then his purpose here crashed over him all over again, reminding him that Kamaria's and his child would likely die without a tonic that could counter the poison in its veins. He stood, sealing away his newfound knowledge and emotions for the time being, and focused instead upon what must be done.

(_You said that the child's parentage was the final matter we needed to discuss, Kummad,)_ he reminded the man. (_So please, tell me now: where can I find the tonic?)_

Yet to the clone's horror, Ali Kummad looked upon him with mingled sorrow and pity. "Do you truly not see it…?"

(_What-?_)

"By the time Sakaki released those machines, he knew you'd defeated him; hence, he decided not to use them for what they were originally intended for, but as a means to accomplish revenge. Yes, the poison those devices carried would not kill either you or Kamaria, but that was never his goal! Instead, he sought to exploit a simple truth - that there are few better ways to destroy a child's parents than by destroying the child itself."

Miyuutsuu stared at him, not fully comprehending what he was being told. (_What are you saying? Surely he never had the opportunity to destroy the tonic and ensure that-!)_

With forceful rage alarming from the previously cool, collected man, the geneticist growled, "Sakaki never cared for his inferiors, so what did it matter to him if they were infected? He was certain he would never be the victim of his little monsters, so why spend money developing a substance he would never need for himself? He _wanted _you to suffer from the poison, so why would he want to make an anti-venom designed to spare you from the effects? Miyuutsuu, what reason did Sakaki have to create a tonic?"

No…no, he could not be saying that…! (_So you are telling me there is no cure? You are telling me that Kamaria and her child have suffered alone all of this time, hoping in vain that I would return with a remedy that will save them? You are telling me that I must go back empty-handed, ultimately failing them when they needed me the most?!)_

As the replica screamed at him, Kummad regained his calm and said, "Yes, that is precisely what I am telling you…and for that, I am deeply sorry. Yet you will not return with nothing, Miyuutsuu: you have the truth now, and while it will not save them, it does mean _something_."

At that, the clone appeared to crumple: his shoulders slackened, his tail fell, and his very frame seemed to sag. Perhaps, in time, the truth _would _matter…but in that moment, his failure to help his dearest and their child rendered it hollow and insignificant. Minutes passed as despair enshrouded him, and when he lifted his head from under the pall, he murmured, (_I must return to them…and to preserve our safety, this place and your memory of us must be eradicated._)

The geneticist, saddened at the notion, nonetheless nodded. "I understand - for now it is best that your kind remained concealed."

So as the clone approached him, Ali Kummad closed his eyes in submission, and saw through his eyelids a cool, blue glow before darkness swallowed his mind. Sometime later he awoke in Cinnabar's only hospital, disorientated and unable to remember the most recent decade of his life, which had covered his involvements with his late colleague Dr. Fuji, with Sakaki and Team Rocket, and most importantly of all, with Kamaria and Miyuutsuu. In the distance, he heard the wailing of sirens, and when he asked the nearby nurse about them, she told him that one of the research laboratories on the island had erupted in flames - fortunately, no one had been trapped inside. Settling back down in the covers of the hospital bed, the researcher within him mused that it was a shame that the efforts of those nameless scientists were now scorching in the blaze…but at least they were alive. He closed his eyes, hoping to resume sleep in the deepening night, and strangely felt a soul-deep, persistent sorrow, as if something more had been lost than simple documents…and one day, weeks later, he would travel through that husk of a facility and puzzle over charred pages that had survived the fire - but from them divined no meaning. He only received hints of an enigmatic creature out there in the world, far beyond the control of mankind…and somehow, that thought banished his lingering sadness, and turning away from the journals, he walked away from the past and never looked back….

_

* * *

_

Yet in another case, remembering the past was all Ali Kummad's creation could do, for she had accepted reality at last: the poison had spared her life, instead deeming to take that of her unborn child. Weeping and trembling at her loss, she clutched the soft, small bundle against her chest, having wrapped the stillborn infant in a white shroud. Finally, with her head bowed in mourning, Kamaria depleted the last of her strength by standing and teleporting away. She vanished, leaving behind only her blood, her tears, and the inevitable testament of the witness, AI….

* * *

And as she disappeared, Miyuutsuu stood upon a crag of obsidian, watching with dulled eyes as flames consumed the building which had failed to grant him their salvation. Ruthlessly, mockingly, the wind lashed against him with the smoke that smothered the moon, their oily tendrils sullying his fur and stinging in his eyes and nostrils. As the roof of the facility caved in, some part of him regarded it as a signal to depart…yet for a few moments more, he continued to gaze downwards. In his mind, beneath layers of black crystal, clarity shimmered…but while it was a gift, it could not make a triumph of his defeat. He closed his prickling eyes, and then he too vanished into the gloom….

…When he arrived in the place called home, he found it empty.

Somehow, he had known it would be….

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well…that leaves me more than a little depressed. I am sensing some flames on the horizon, namely concerning Miyuutsuu's behavior, as I am certain some of you may be miffed that he did not attempt to create his own anti-venom/tonic. To that, I will simply review how anti-venom is made: you have to inject the venom into another animal (a horse, sheep, goat, or rabbit), allow them to produce antibodies to the venom, harvest those antibodies, and then, to treat the victim, inject the antibodies into him or her. Miyuutsuu did not have the time or the opportunity for that. Now if he had studied the little pests with AI as she'd suggested, maybe he would have thought to make an anti-venom/tonic in advance, but as he did not…well, this happened. As for Kummad, my opinion of him is mixed given what he did in this chapter, so make of him what you will. At any rate, we have one more chapter left, so stick around for the conclusion, alright? Again, thank you all for reading, and I hope that you'll review! For those who did so last time, I greatly appreciate it!

See ya' next time.

Sincerely,

_WiseAbsol_


	9. The Dawn

**Disclaimer: For the last time (in this particular story), I do not own Pokémon.**

**Author's Note:** So, at long last, we have reached the final chapter of Faint...I must admit I'm relieved. After over a year of this story hanging over my head, after struggling for that long to summon up the motivation to complete this project, I can finally add the "Complete" tag to this one and no longer need to worry about leaving its readers hanging. Yet while, I confess, this story dragged for me, in the end I find myself rather proud and even fond of it. Of all of my works, this is the only one which possesses what I feel is a realistic chronicle of a developing relationship, including an accurate timeline. That, and I was able to nod to numerous aspects of Mewtwo's character, including what was revealed in the anime, the radio drama, the manga, and the games, as well as trends in various fanfiction. So I have to say I'm rather content with how this turned out.

At any rate, to all those who read and reviewed in the past, thank you very much! I greatly appreciate it, and hope that the conclusion of Faint will not disappoint you.

Sincerely,

WiseAbsol

* * *

_**Phase 9.) The Dawn:**_

In the minutes following his return to Purity Canyon, Miyuutsuu stood within the medical chamber of the island complex, absorbing the silence and the half-light of the late afternoon sun, whose glow flowed into the cave through the windows carved out from its walls. A somber quiet, the offspring of his nearly incapacitating sorrow and his emotional exhaustion, seeped through his spirit, and for a moment he considered lying upon the hard earth for rest, as, he saw, the mat where he had left Kamaria in hours before was soiled with biological waste. The putrid odors of vomit, loose stool, perspiration, blood, and amniotic fluid were enough to make his stomach heave, but covering his muzzle with a paw, he managed to suppress the urge, though the soul taste of bile erupted in the back of his throat. Swallowing the vile substance down, he glanced around the room, grasping what had occurred in sluggish intervals from the physical evidence and the lingering aural markers: sickness, pain, terror...and then, most potently of all, intense grief, so black it threatened to smother him like a noxious, lethal gas. Here, that darkness whispered, a Reaper had stepped within this home, cutting down a mere bud of life with the eternal scythe, and it had left behind the progenitor of that life, sentencing her to an era of mourning for a being lost before it had begun to live. Stepping away, his breath rasping in his closing throat, the male teleported the mess of fabrics well beneath the earth where they could decompose, and then telekinetically lifted a few gallons of bleach, spilling their contents across the sullied stone floor. As the odorous base spread, eradicating any microbes it encountered, Miyuutsuu staggered from the chamber to escape the fumes as well as the haunting metaphysical byproducts of Kamaria struggles and her loss. Yet he would not flee from the female herself; with watering eyes, he cast out his empathic senses, reaching out for the absent clone in the only way he could when she was not within his physical presence. Upon not discovering her within the caverns, he asked AI, softly, _(Where is she?)_

AI, speaking for the first time in hours, murmured, _"She is where you both stargaze, onii-san."_

His eyes were clouded, unfocused, and closing them, he breathed out, (_Thank you.)_

And Miyuutsuu, during that hour, said nothing more to his creation...instead he teleported to the cliff where, ultimately, their mutual downfall had been triggered. When he rematerialized, the shade cast by the willow sapling brushed over his toes, and the crisp scent of clovers rose in the air as their flowers and leaves were crushed beneath his footfalls. Beneath the slender truck of the youthful tree, his dearest one knelt, her head bowed and her shoulders, looking so fragile, quaking. Pearly tears ran down her cheeks in well-traced tracks, indicating that she had been weeping for quite some time. Witnessing her naked sorrow deepened the wounds of his own heart, and with leaden movements he walked up behind her...and then looked over her to the smooth, white stone set in the ground before her, which had been polished by unnatural elements. The faint azure glow lingering across its surface was all the indication he needed of know that she had tried, lovingly, to make something beautiful of the ugly reality they faced. Further proof of her attentiveness was the short elegy etched into its gleaming face, beneath the image of a winged infant of feline features...:

_Little one, who never knew the dawn,_

_I felt you, knew you, wanted you, _

_Loved you nine months long,_

_And still I love you as death embraces you,_

_My dear, sweet, little daughter,_

_Who never knew the dawn._

After reading this, he found that he could not breathe; the pain of their loss only sharpened as the gender of the infant was clarified. Their child had been a daughter; had Sakaki not unleashed the poison of his cruelty upon them, he would have been the father of a healthy, whole baby girl. Yet now instead he, like Kamaria, whose heart was even more entangled in the fate of the kit, had been sentenced to one of the most wretched fates of all: outliving their offspring. Kneeling down, he reached out a paw and placed it on the female's quivering shoulder, wishing he could say that everything would be alright - but that would have been an insult to her grief and a condescending lie, and after all of the secrecy in their pasts, further deception would only render void the closeness they had gained over the past several months. So instead he spoke the words which, often times, no matter how honestly they were uttered, never seemed to convey the speaker's sorrow...but they were all he had, and so he whispered, (_I am sorry, Kamaria.) _

As he spoke, his aura washed over hers in an unconscious attempt to convey to her the intensity of his own grief...and this, it seemed, appeared to let Kamaria know that she was not alone in her mourning, and that she was not the only one broken by this death. Her eyes opened halfway, and in their watery depths no anger burned - she did not have the strength within herself to rage at him for not returning sooner, or for failing to help her and her child as he'd promised. He had tried his best, and now truly regretted that he could have done the impossible. What more could she ask of him...?

Tears trickling down her face as she gazed upon the tiny grave, she murmured to him, (_I was going to name her Iris...it was the first flower I saw when I woke up here. There are so many in this place...she would have loved playing among them.) _And a frail, bittersweet smile twitched upon her muzzle as she considered what might have been...before the same musings crushed her, causing the weak smile to flicker and die like a guttering candle flame. Turning to him, her sobs renewing their vigor, and she gasped out, (_Why…? Why did she have to die? She was pure, innocent...she didn't even have the chance to see the sun before she went...! It should have been me instead - I would have willingly given my life in exchange for hers had I the chance, so _why_...?)_

Choking on her sobs and desperate for any hint of solace another could provide, Kamaria buried herself against him, weeping hot tears into his collar. As he slid his arms around her trembling frame, he vaguely noted that her pelt was cold and damp, and cradled her even closer in the desire to give her warmth. In a low, gentle voice he said that he did not know why fate had turned out this way, and listened to her as she whimpered out that she had only wished to hold her daughter, to raise her child lovingly, and now that dream was dashed aside, impossible to be regained. And Miyuutsuu, throughout her tortured ramblings, held onto her and allowed her to cry freely in his company. In time, his own eyes began to burn with moisture for the unfairness of what had occurred, for Kamaria's suffering, and for the little one, who had been lost to him as much as to her...and eventually, he confessed that he knew who the father of that child was_._

Hearing him say that, she lifted her face from his collar and gazed into his face. A shard of fear flickered in her eyes - would he be angry with her? Would she lose him too by the end of this horrible day...? If she did, she knew she would have no one to blame but herself.... (_So he told you,)_ she whispered, and as he nodded, she bowed her head, fresh tears running from her eyes, and gasped, (_I'm sorry...! I - I thought about telling you...I fought with myself as to whether or not I should just say it. I-.)_

Brushing her tears away with a paw, he quieted her by saying, (_Hush, Kamaria. While I cannot say that what you did was right, I can understand why you refrained. As such, I will not begrudge you for it...but I wish you would have told me sooner. Perhaps if you had, I would have done things differently...maybe it would have changed things…maybe....)_

As the possibilities were conceived and shattered in his mind, his words ran out and his heart seemed to break entirely - his throat clenched hard, his muscles shook, fluid tickled in his nostrils and pooled in his eyes. As those tears threatened, he attempted to conceal them, wishing to remain strong for the female he cherished above all others in this world, and so rested his forehead against her shoulder, hiding his eyes from her. However, this nearness had a dual effect, for it confirmed to Kamaria that her mistakes would not cause Miyuutsuu to reject her now, and so she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. As her relief and gratefulness bathed him, he ceased pretending and wept along with her, eventually savoring the tender sensation of her mouth kissing away his own tears. Such touches implored nothing of either of them, but made clear that the innocence between them had been lost; after surviving through a tragedy, perhaps that had been inevitable.... Soon his heart swelled with a need for her nearness, but now, he knew, was not the time to express his desire to her. No, this was a time for mourning, a time for rebuilding the heart, a time for selfless love...and that was what he would give her. Drawing her into his arms, he teleported them back into the island, into caverns far from the hell of the medical facility. AI, upon noting their return and their emotional statuses, shut off her sensor feeds into Kamaria's quarters, allowing them the gift of privacy...and so, alone but for each other, the clones curled up together and held onto one another through the shadowy hours, grieving for what had been lost and what might have been. At times they drank spring water to sooth their throats, but more often they merely took comfort in the touches they exchanged, and in the black dreams which occasionally gave them a reprieve from their despair. During the worst moments of their lives, they clung to sanity and hope by clinging to each other...and in the end, that was what saved them from turning down the path towards true and unmerciful darkness....

When the moon outside reached its zenith, providing them its ghostly light, Miyuutsuu pressed his muzzle to Kamaria's and said softly, sincerely, (_I love you, Kamaria.)_

In response she lifted a paw, stroked his cheek gently, and pressed her mouth to his as she whispered back, (_I know, Miyuutsuu...I know.)_

Beyond them, the darkness of the night fled as morning approached...and as the long hours passed, their sorrow and loneliness, like the shadows, began to weaken and retreat, unable to overcome the strength of the ardor they shared….

* * *

...When dawn arrived, Miyuutsuu stirred groggily in the thin blankets of Kamaria's nest, sensing the absence of a warmth that had been there in the previous hours. As his eyes drifted open and his arms reached out, neither came to hold his companion within them, and sitting up, he glanced around at the stillness of the room, noting the absence of the female's few possessions. Closing his eyes, he sighed and pressed his face into his palm, attempting to suppress the ache within his heart and head. Kamaria, he knew, had chosen to depart from this place before he woke, and this time she was truly gone. Wearily he lifted his head and slid from the nest, stepping out from the covers and into the brisk spring air. Finding that he was awake, the now watchful AI spoke softly from above, mindful that his spirit might now be as fragile as crystal:

"_Before she left, she wrote a letter for you...it's on the table, onii-san."_

Without uttering a word, the clone walked over to the stone table and picked up the folded sheet of paper resting there. He hesitated for a moment, and then opened it, allowing his eyes to run across the elegant scrawl, which he was certain Kamaria had written with her telekinesis; such a method was quicker, cleaner, and ultimately more beautiful. Her message read:

_**Dearest Miyuutsuu,**_

_**The false dawn is tranquil as I write this, and despite the fact that AI and I argued only minutes ago, you remain sleeping soundly in the nest I have reluctantly vacated. You should be proud of your creation, Miyuutsuu - she is extremely loyal to you, and would do anything to ensure your happiness. When she learned of my intentions, she used all of the reasoning in her arsenal to try to persuade me to stay; at the very least, she insisted, I should wake you before I go and say a proper farewell. Yet how could I do such...? How could I bear to see your sorrow at the notion of my departure, or at the mistaken belief in my rejection? This seems to me the kindest way to move forward - it makes us endure no heartbreaking goodbyes, and will still manage to allow me to promise something to you. Yet before I make that vow, you should know why I have chosen this path. You deserve that much and more, Miyuutsuu. **_

_**Above all other reasons, I must leave to find closure, my friend. I cannot move past the loss of my...no, of our child...if I remain here. Every sight, every sound, every inhabitant in this place will only remind me of that which I encountered during my pregnancy, and hence will remind me of my hopes for our daughter...and right now, I need to remove myself from all that will force me to dwell on her. I need to make my peace with her death, and the only way I can do that is to move forward into something new. Perhaps, if I can accomplish that, I can then return to you. In the meanwhile, however, I will exploit this journey for all it can offer. I want to see the world, Miyuutsuu, to meet its denizens and experience the richness of their cultures and their beliefs. Maybe through doing so I can discover the kind of person I am, and the person I wish to become...and, ultimately, make myself whole. That way, when I settle down I may do so without regrets, for I will have done all I dreamed of doing, and will no longer need to depend upon someone else emotionally as I have done in the past. I believe you can understand this...or at the very least, I hope you will.**_

_**As for our daughter herself...despite that death held her when she came into the world, she remained beautiful. After I had cleansed both her and myself of the blood from childbirth, I saw just how wonderful she would have been - she even had your coloring. Had she lived, I am certain you would have known she was yours the instant you rested your eyes upon her. Maybe someday we will have another chance to create a being like her, albeit in a more meaningful way...yet for now, we will part until the passing of every quarter year. In three months, I will return to Mt. Quena, and when I do, I want to meet with you again. As far as AI is concerned, this is my way of making peace with her...but truly, my friend, this my way of making peace with my own heart, for I doubt I could endure being so far from you for much longer than that. **_

_**In the time that we've known each other, you have done so much for me...yet I must ask you one more favor. Please, Miyuutsuu, do not wait in this place, pining for my return as you might be tempted to do. Go out into this glorious world, which, for all its flaws, is nonetheless a true masterpiece to savor. Do not inflict upon yourself isolation as a punishment you do not deserve; after everything else we have suffered, haven't we learned that solitude is among our fiercest banes...? Go forth and explore, and do not, for both of your sakes, stand behind AI and use her as an excuse not to depart. She is, after all, a goddess in her own realm, with multitudes of beings and sanctuaries she may seek out when she so desires. She will be alright...but you, if you stay here, will only stunt your growth and my respect for you. And as an added incentive, consider this: if you begin to wander as I intend to, perhaps our paths will intersect and our journeys, for a time, intertwine....**_

_**Yet for now, I see the sun's rays breaking over the mountaintops, and so I will depart into that light. I will go to find my solace and myself...and I hope you will do the same, Miyuutsuu.**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Kamaria**_

* * *

Throughout the following week, Miyuutsuu debated with himself whether or not he should follow Kamaria's advisements...yet in the end, he understood, her logic was sound, and the hope of meeting her in the world beyond Purity Canyon was too alluring to resist. As he packed his meager possessions, he said farewell to AI and Chi, not realizing that he gave such regards twice to a single entity, and then he too headed out into the morning light, just as his female companion had mere days before. Watching him soar into the distance, the clone's brainchild might have smiled with contentment had she the ability, and inwardly she hoped that he might his beloved in the coming months. In the meantime, she would submerge herself into every facet of _her_ world, allowing this to act as _her _journey and as the bane to any loneliness she might come to _feel_ in the absence of her siblings....

As months passed by, Miyuutsuu and Kamaria did not encounter one another before their first return to the island. During that initial reunion, they met and embraced upon the cliff which overlooked the lake. Tears were shed, and the female vanished again before the dawn, as she did in many reunions to come, until the bitter ache of grief was dulled and outshone by the warmer memories from the past and from the new memories from their wanderings. Eventually they gained the ability to remember their lost Iris with a smile, only bearing a faint, lingering sorrow which would always be there within their hearts, insuring that they would never forget.... As their meetings grew brighter, warmer, they began to explore the potential of romance between them, talking for hours concerning what they had experienced in the months they spent away from one another, and well as exchanging increasingly intimate touches and delights - though they never, during their initial courtship, shared coitus, not even when Kamaria's heat drove her to crave it desperately. The time for that was later, they knew, and neither wished to rush and bind the other to them just yet...but by the end of three years, they knew that the possibility of someone else filling their hearts was slim to none. Although they fell for others a couple of times, in the end they knew with who and where they truly wished to end up...and so their bond only strengthened with the passage of time, and deepened as they matured into the beings they were meant to become....

Eventually the two even began to plan when and in what land their journeys would interweave: they spent December in Manhattan, February in France, their summers in South America (particularly in the Amazon, where their ancestors had dwelled), their autumns in the isles of Oceania. They lingered for two full years in Asia and the Middle East, exploring the ancient temples and religions of China, India, and what had once been Persia. They whirled through Europe, scarcely able to shut their eyes for all there was to see and witness occurring there daily. They drifted lazily through Africa and Australia, connecting with their more primitive, pride-orientated selves as they explored the wide expanses of the continental wildernesses (including some that were underwater, thanks to Miyuu's bubble trick). They hop-scotched via teleportation between the dazzling cities and scenic regions of North America...and they even, in a fit of transient insanity, teleported to the South Pole, determining in seconds never to visit the artic realm again, regardless of how enchanting the auroras proved. During all their travels, they met and befriended a handful of natives in a majority of the lands, and from these connections gained an understanding that, no matter what their origins, all creatures possess the mutual desire to find contentment in life and make peace with the notion of its ending - for death would someday take them all, save the gods beyond its reach.

Yet Miyuutsuu and Kamaria dreamed as if they had forever ahead of them, and lived as if they must fade into nothingness tomorrow, just as the saying advised. They witnessed and experienced all they wished to and more besides, and while not everything they encountered was within the realm of goodness, they nonetheless bore no ill will towards the world and its denizens for that. And by the end of those years of exploration, they truly understood and cared for one another more than anything else...and so when they at last took the step forward to become mates, making love tenderly beneath the moon, they would never come to doubt or regret their decision. True, for awhile their newfound status and activities together invoked in them potent shyness and self-consciousness, (especially when AI took great delight in teasing them for it,) with the awkwardness of their first time behind them, they moved into their renewed relationship more confidently, and truly began to savor the joys of their partnership.

Soon after this change, they began to sense that their journeys were approaching their ends...and so, one tranquil night when they had, once more, returned to Purity Canyon, he cradled his partner in his arms and murmured that words which had been, in the past, silently forbidden for him to say: (_Stay with me here, Kamaria…stay with me this time....)_

When he awoke later, in hours after the sun had risen over the mountains, he mourned for a fleeting moment when he found his arms empty of his mate...yet then her arms encircled him from behind, and he felt her press a tender kiss to his shoulder as she whispered, _(It's alright, Miyuutsuu…I'll stay.)_

The clone turned over to face his beloved fully, a soft, happy smile curling across his muzzle as he did so...and in the weeks to come, his joy only grew, for his partner and he soon sensed the embodiment of their union within the female's womb. Like a firefly cradled within clasped hands, the light of that new life glowed strongly, wondrously...and placing her mate's paws over her core, Kamaria tilted her face upwards and murmured to her partner that she loved him. Miyuutsuu, in response, smirked and said that he had known....

Nine months later, arriving beneath the morning star, their "second" child was born into the world. Happy, healthy, and squirming energetically as they each held him in turn, they named their infant son after the Greek god Eosphorus, who had, in myth, been regarded as the bringer of light...and such a name suited him. As the thin sunshine outside grew brighter, warmer, fuller, Eos' mewls for milk were heeded as his mother began to nurse him, and his father, beaming, led them carefully out onto the sandy shore, where together they could watch the sunrise. In that dawn, after years of conflict and walking astray, the supposed "shadows of life" had triumphed and filled their lives with light...and now, without a hint of apprehension, they walked purposefully into the next adventure of their lives, as they would in all those yet to come....

_The End._

* * *

**Author's Note: **So, as the final words state, this is the end of Faint, everyone! Again, thank you for reading the story, and if you would leave one final review for it, I would greatly appreciate it. At any rate, I'm now at college (YAY!) and thrilled to be here, and considering I'm going to jump right in and submerge myself in the experience and my classes, updates on other projects may take awhile. Yet they _will_ be added, no worries! Anyhow, as we have some fun activities planned, I'm going to be heading out for awhile. See ya' later, everyone!

Sincerely,

Abby


End file.
